《I Became the Black Swan Mother of the White Swan Princess》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 In the deepest and most secluded room of the imperial palace, the Lianness Council Chamber was full of tension. This room couldn¡¯t be compared to other conference rooms and banquet halls where countless events were held. It was the most solemn and secret location of the Lohan Empire, where only the four feudal lords of the lands of the four cardinal points could enter. ¡°Your Majesty, what would you like to do in response to the Lichten Kingdom¡¯s provocation?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Limal, the lord of the East, bowed his head to the man standing behind the golden seat in the center of the room. The man who had been looking out the window, seemingly uninterested in the meeting, slowly turned his head. ¡°Well, what do you think I should do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the brief reply, the shoulders of the three feudal lords present stiffened. The blond hair that seemed like a strand cut from the sunlight shook as the man turned to face them. His red eyes glowed, coldly shining, able to frighten anyone who saw them into tears. An unspeakably handsome man. People said that it was if someone had nailed the portrait of the nation¡¯s founder, a god who was said to have descended from the heavens, onto the emperor, giving one shivers at the uncanny resemblance. They weren¡¯t saying he actually looked like the god. It was just that when people looked at his chilly, ethereal face, sins they hadn¡¯t committed would slip out of their mouths. Even if one didn¡¯t take into account that he was the sovereign of a great empire that defeated two continents and ruled over twelve kingdoms, his physical presence was enough to crush people. ¡°Is this their first provocation?¡± ¡°Ye-yes, it is. As a new country, it seems their government doesn¡¯t really know what they¡¯re doing and was incited by the countries surrounding them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Following Limal¡¯s words, Set, the lord of the western region, spoke up. Despite his old age and many years of experience, he remained as one of the emperor¡¯s most loyal supporters. ¡°There is no need for Your Majesty to personally lead a war campaign, but why don¡¯t we suppress them properly so they don¡¯t have any other unnecessary thoughts?¡± ¡°Leave it as it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes? But then, if the neighboring countries get encouraged and start to provoke us as well¡­ ¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll burn them all down together.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Smirk. The small smile on his face made one shiver as much as his red eyes did. His beautiful appearance played a firm part in putting pressure on others. However, those who knew what he was hiding behind that smile wouldn¡¯t be able to smile with him. ¡°¡­¡­It looks like it¡¯s raining.¡± Drip. The man¡¯s smile deepened at the sound of the raindrops knocking on the window. The two feudal lords looked at each other as they felt the atmosphere gettier chillier, and then tried to find someone to change the mood of the conference, turning to the one person who hadn¡¯t spoken. ¡°Well, what does the Lord of the North think?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes? Me?¡± ¡°Though you aren¡¯t the official ruler, you are still the northern region¡¯s representative, so of course you can¡¯t remain indifferent to national affairs. Since the southern land¡¯s feudal lord isn¡¯t here today, you must say something in their stead as a lord.¡± Limal spoke, cornering the woman with a blaming tone. Limal¡¯s target was a young, beautiful woman seated on the North Lord¡¯s position, shimmering like silver and diamonds. Though it was said she was quite the partier, looking at her somber appearance today, it seemed the rumors weren¡¯t true. ¡®Even if she came in her deceased husband¡¯s place.¡¯ All eyes on the woman were filled with mocking laughter. As the lords looked at what she was holding on her lap, they snorted as their lips twisted upwards. ¡®¡­¡­Well, what can a woman who carries something like that possibly know?¡¯ They did not attempt to hide their inner thoughts from their faces. Though the northern household was a family that had defended all sides of the empire since its founding period, they still had an eat or be eaten relationship with the other households. Right as they were about to press the unofficial Northern Lord to speak up, the emperor¡¯s shoes turned to face them. ¡°I¡¯m tired. All of you leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah, yes.¡± Even if there was prey in front of them, they couldn¡¯t disobey the emperor¡¯s command. When the two lords failed to raise a complaint about the North Lord, they politely retreated, and the woman got ready to stand up and sneak away. ¡°Y-Your Majesty.¡± No well, she tried to get up and leave. ¡°Is something the matter, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You must be curious about what I want.¡± The man had blocked her way with natural movements, drumming his fingers on the table. The sound of his fingers mingled with the raindrops pattering on the window. She closed her eyes tightly and put on a thin smile, speaking with a trembling voice. ¡°Ah, perhaps about the youngest princess¡­¡± ¡°Oh. Well, that¡¯s.¡± A small disappointed sigh escaped out of his mouth. No one knew what he had been expecting. please read at littleajummas.wordpress.com or I will cut a bish. I am feeling aggro today ¡°Haniel probably followed after Loam. She¡¯s a child who was never able to adapt to the Imperial Palace, so she¡¯s probably randomly following him around.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was a bit indifferent for an attitude of a big brother. But as if the woman had received some sort of reassurance, she seemed to hold what was in her lap more dearly. ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°The communication line was broken, but I have nothing to worry about since she¡¯s with the sorcerer Loam. If anything happened to him, the color of his pulse tone would have changed, but there is no sign of that. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­Of course. The princess must be safe¡­¡­.¡± ¡°She should be safe. But if anyone does lay a hand on Haniel,¡± ¡°I-if they do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill them.¡± With the softest tone he could use, he spoke slowly, as if whispering, and lowered his head. ¡°I¡¯ll break their bones and rip their flesh into pieces. I¡¯ll personally lift their head for them and show them their ruined body. For anyone who dares to kidnap the imperial princess, that much should be an appropriate punishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hahaha.¡± ¡°But why are your hands shaking so much?¡± The red eyes seemed puzzled as they looked down. The surprised woman shook her head, saying it was nothing. ¡°No, it¡¯s just a little chilly. Then I will excuse myself and return to my fief, Your Majesty. ¡° ¡°Where are you going.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± He pointed his chin to the window. As he watched the rain falling down on the black marble window frame, his cruel smile became more satisfied. ¡°Catherine, didn¡¯t you say you hate the rain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, b-but.¡± ¡°Then stay here.¡± His words were coercive but also not, confusing her of his intentions. But one thing was clear; he seemed to have no intention to let her leave. Catherine, who had no choice but to give up, forcibly bit her mouth and kept her back straight. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s so cold your hands are trembling. Since it¡¯s unlikely that the rain will cease, I¡¯ll have a room prepared for you to stay in.¡± ¡°I, I am greatly honored.¡± The golden cloak disappeared, and, as if seeking comfort, the woman lowered her hand to stroke the head of the white baby swan sitting on her legs. The baby swan acted cutely, childishly rubbing its head against her hand as if it had been waiting for this moment of attention. ¡°¡­¡­Did you hear that, sweetheart?¡± Catherine swallowed a scream down her throat and lifted up the white baby swan she had been holding. As she gazed at the baby swan that seemed immensely happy to be looking at Catherine face to face, her purple eyes shook violently. ¡°Sigh.¡± Hey you¡­¡­.Your older brother said he¡¯s gonna kill me. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó I love fantasy novels, especially transmigration novels. I mean, how great is it! One day the heroine just opens their eyes and becomes a princess, or a queen! As someone with an ordinary life, there was nothing better than that kind of life reversal. But something like a life reversal that could happen to me in this world was winning the lottery, if it did happen, and I¡¯d just end up buying a house in Seoul. The world might seem to fly for a few days, but in the end, I¡¯d still have to go out and work everyday. Whether it was using up all my money to pay for a one-room studio to live in, or living in a better apartment, my life itself wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°Sigh, I guess this is my one life.¡± Crunch crunch, I stuffed popcorn into my mouth, holding a smartphone that had 35 months of contract use remaining. This was the only luxury I could afford without parents or siblings, working at a small zoo on a trial contract. Of course, though I received a minimum wage, I did my best because I really did love animals. In South Korea, however, there was a big difference between liking and being recognized. No matter how hard I worked, devoting myself to the animals, I wasn¡¯t sure if my contract was going to be renewed for the next year. ¡°Chief, it ¡¯s not good to release all the animals at once! It¡¯ll be like a hierarchy fight for them-¡± ¡°Ugh, seriously, who do you think you are to speak to me like that? Are you looking down on me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± I think you¡¯re the one who looks down on me. I swallowed my words. The talk of next year¡¯s contract was still coming up. ¡°And these animals? Are they your buddies? What a perfect match you guys all are!¡± And so as always, I worked diligently and met with a difficult day. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I understood that a person like my boss who didn¡¯t have a speck of interest in animals wouldn¡¯t do well in this line of work, but that didn¡¯t give him an excuse to take his anger out on me. Those kinds of people didn¡¯t care how much I love animals and how friendly I was with them. Though I had started working as a part time zookeeper during high school, thus amassing the most work experience than any other worker around, my image couldn¡¯t go beyond, ¡°the kid who couldn¡¯t go to college and is stuck working at a small zoo.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah, how nice it¡¯d be to just live comfortably with you guys.¡± Since after work, there wasn¡¯t another place I had to go next or someone I could wait for. With a can of beer in my hand, I staggered to the lake in the middle of the zoo. T/N: do not do this at home. Do not drink a beer by yourself next to things that could harm u. Like a knife. Or a lake. Plushies are okay. ¡°Guys, Mom¡¯s here!¡± The only children who really welcomed me were the zoo animals I took care of myself. I forced a smile on my face as I stroked the shell of an elderly turtle. So, you think you know everything! At the time I laughed as if those words had been spoken as a joke, but now I only felt overwhelming sorrow. ¡°Aww, can you tell just by looking at me? Ah no¡­¡­do you know, sir?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± (old sir turtle) The person who came up with the phrase that turtles¡¯ eyes were like those of deer had probably never actually seen the eyes of a turtle. As I kept gazing at the beautiful black eyes, I became enchanted with them, and my heart melted away. Looking at them was enough for the words piled up in my heart to spill out. ¡°I want to live the rest of my life without having to think about job contracts and such. I just want to look at you pretty ones¡­¡­¡± I wanted to throw all my worries away, and have a happy life raising animals. Head filled with dreams, I sat down and hugged my knees to my chest, blinking away tears. ¡°I¡¯d be so happy if I could just jump into a novel.¡± I wanted to try living leisurely, like that swan floating in the lake over there. Well then, there was only one decision I could make to try to make this happen in reality. ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s buy a lottery ticket.¡± Hahhhh! I put my hands on my knees and got up to leave, but stumbled as I felt the world spin. What¡¯s going on. I didn¡¯t even drink that much¡­¡­ I suddenly felt sick in the stomach and my steps staggered. And so one step, two steps, and so on, continued in the direction of the deep blue lake, until. Splash! And that¡¯s how my life ended. I¡¯d said I wanted to fall into a novel, but who knew I¡¯d fall into a lake! T/N: ok but why is there a lake like that in the middle of a small zoo in the first place¡­ All the animals on the shore of the lake flocked toward me, but I couldn¡¯t even let out a scream from my mouth. Their black eyes watched the sight of me struggling to breathe as I drowned. ¡°Glub, gl-glub!¡± In the novels I¡¯d read, it was a given to pay back kindness with a good deed, but there was no such thing for these guys. For over ten years, I¡¯d fed them and brushed their fur, but they just sat there with blank expressions as if they were looking at a stranger. Maybe it was just an illusion, but I thought I saw a few of them smirk. T/N: no, it was just you. Leave the poor animals alone. U didnt train them to save u from drowning. So stop it. Train the animals better in ur next life. ¡­¡­You guys. The last memory of my life ended there, and I made a final decision. If this older sister of yours survives this¡­¡­ You¡¯re all dead meat. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó And with that, I opened my eyes again. I might have had an insignificant life, but does it make sense to die in an artificial lake at a zoo! As soon as I managed to hold onto a thought in my hazy mind, a breath burst out of my originally blocked throat. ¡°Hua!¡± But the me who had been reborn was no longer a temporary zoo worker in South Korea. I¡¯d won the very lottery I¡¯d so badly wished for. ¡°¡­¡­Holy shit.¡± Is this what they call transmigration, that ¡°famous¡± transmigration experience? Black hair that glowed with a dark bluish hue and a pair of mysterious purple eyes. Cheeks white like snow and full, crimson lips. There wasn¡¯t really a way to describe this body¡¯s jaw-dropping beauty. After I saw my looks in the mirror, I kept staring for so long that bruises could¡¯ve appeared on my face. But when I woke up and noticed my different appearance, I reacted differently than most novel characters in the transmigration stories I¡¯d read about. I didn¡¯t scream or slap a maid in shock or confusion. I mean, why would I? Please read this at littleajummas.wordpress.com or i will cut le bishes I¡¯d always dreamed of this, so now I only wanted to enjoy the time I had in the novel as much as possible. Would I marry a cold-hearted duke and end up melting his heart, or would I be running away from a crown prince who was obsessed with me? Or if not that then maybe I¡¯d become the disciple of an archmagician and overthrow the world. A list of exhilarating options from storylines flowed through my head. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do this.¡± Wondering what I should do for my first step as a transmigrator, I clapped my hands in glee, full of anticipation. I was motivated, but there was one problem left. I didn¡¯t know which novel I woke up in. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó Please read this at littleajummas.wordpress.com or i will cut le bishes An hour after transmigrating, ¡°¡­¡­Hahh.¡± What was I expecting? If I had good luck in the first place, I wouldn¡¯t have died so ridiculously in an artificial pool. But no matter how bad my luck is, this was still a little too much. Others read a lot of books and become judges and doctors, but I read too many books and was still in a situation where I didn¡¯t know who I was. ¡®¡¯What character could it be. A princess? Villainess? ¡° They said even a dog could recite a poem if it spent three years in school, and I¡¯d read at least a thousand transmigration novels. Eventually, as long as I read the first couple pages of the book, it was easy to predict how the protagonist¡¯s life was going to turn out. T/N: ?? ? 3??? ??? ???: a dog could recite a poem if it spent three years in school. It¡¯s similar to the lesson that experience is the best teacher. Like who the protagonist would meet, what kind of hidden power they had, etc, they would all pour out like fortune telling. But I still couldn¡¯t recognize the story I was in. ¡°Ugh! I didn¡¯t even have that much money but I bought all those books!¡± It was obvious that i felt like I could do anything with this body¡¯s stellar beauty, but the characters that were most commonly used as stepping stones in romance-fantasy novels were the good looking ones. So with this sort of unfamiliar character setting, I continued to find out more about my situation. Wait a second. I flipped over my hands and looked at them, and checked every inch of my entire body for a possible unique body characteristic. But no matter how diligently I looked over my body and face, there was nothing I could find in the mirror¡¯s reflection. ¡°Hahh¡­how is it possible to be this pretty.¡± I removed the black dress I had been wearing, revealing a pale-skinned figure that stood out even more. I¡¯d have liked to wear a slightly more elegant and brightly colored dress than the fine quality, yet modest, one I had on. Or it sort of seemed like a mourning attire, if it was okay to say that¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Haha.¡± No, probably not. No matter how unlucky I am, I can¡¯t possibly be unlucky enough to be a widow. Though there were tales of evil spirits that brought misfortune with them wherever they went, I wasn¡¯t in South Korea any longer, so my luck wouldn¡¯t be too horrible. ¡®Right. Let¡¯s treat this as an escape room and look for clues! I can even play it for free!¡¯ With the most positive attitude I could muster, I looked around the majestic room I had woken up in. There was a chandelier, bed, and wardrobe, all three of them large and imposing. I wondered if I could get any hints by the clothes I owned, but when I opened the wardrobe, my hopes turned into dismay. ¡°Wh-what. Why are they all like this?¡± The inside of the magnificent wardrobe was only filled with a number black clothes. Black dresses, black bonnets, black veils and black shoes. No matter how much this person liked black, this had to be a serious obsession. But if it wasn¡¯t that, then¡­¡­ ¡°Al-alright, let¡¯s first go meet other people.¡± Thud! Erasing the ominous thoughts from my head, I firmly closed the closet door and changed into one of the black dresses. Well anyway, this escape room isn¡¯t a good one because it¡¯s for free, they should only be played if they have a fee like the usual. These days, they¡¯re all scams if they¡¯re free, you can¡¯t do anything properly if you don¡¯t use money first. If this were a scene in the novel, there¡¯d probably be someone next to me who¡¯d say something like ¡®Oooh, Miss Isabelle! As the Duke of Eden¡¯s one and only precious daughter and the fiancee of the Crown Prince, you have to protect your reputation and standing!¡¯, thus explaining my situation like an npc, and then waiting for me to reply. But no matter how long I waited after waking up, such an npc didn¡¯t appear and I was still alone. ¡­¡­Umm. To be left alone like this, it¡¯s a little too much. If it¡¯s a room and furniture of this size and quality, I must be a noble, so how could it be quiet enough to hear the sound of a pin drop? Was I maybe the boss villainess of the story? I guessed that perhaps my family members had all moved away, or, on second thought, had completely abandoned, but with the kind of beauty I had, I was sure people would be approaching, and not running away from me. I¡¯m saying that I was so pretty, my family members who supposedly sold me off for money, they¡¯d feel it a pity to sell such a beautiful daughter. Whatever the case, this situation was strange. Finally, I carefully opened the room¡¯s door, albeit with a distracted mind on what I¡¯d find outside. But the only thing I heard in the grand hallway was the sound of my breath. ¡°Hello! Excuse me? Is there anyone there!?¡± I loudly yelled again and again, but my voice only echoed off the walls. A horror house. Or something like that, maybe. I rubbed my arms that, at some point, had become covered in goosebumps. I ran down the stairs and stumbled out of the building, but then couldn¡¯t help but exclaim with pleasant surprise. ¡°¡­¡­.Oh my!¡± How could such a wonderful place exist. I¡¯d run out, frightened, but when I saw the spectacle in front of my eyes, my breath stopped for a few moments. Though no one had explained anything to me, this place reassured and comforted me of where I was. ¡°So this really is inside the world of a fantasy novel!¡± I gazed in awe at the beautiful scenery and repeatedly rubbed my eyes because it looked too good to be true. I felt like my heart was being squeezed as I saw the small hills and lush bushes surrounding the area, and best of all, a blue lake that shined like a gem. This was the real deal transmigration, a real deal harmonious nature scene! Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The huge lake that had just turned red at the end of the sunset was a picture-like scene. A beautiful lake surrounded by reeds, harmoniously living animals, and colorful flower bushes made me think of the heaven I¡¯d never been to. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Well, after seeing this, could there be any other heaven? I approached the lake, step by step, but then halted my footsteps. For the first time since I¡¯d transmigrated, I felt another person¡¯s presence. I was surprised, but my expectations subtly rose as well. Seeing her outfit, she definitely looked like a servant of this place, but what would she call me by when she saw me? Lady? Princess? If not that, then¡­¡­ ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!¡± (the servant) ¡¸¡­¡­ ¡¹ (female lead) T/N ¡¸ ¡¹ : it¡¯s used for the female lead¡¯s thoughts. Her surprised reaction is just like how the characters act shocked in novels. She¡¯d shattered my expectations of talking to a servant character, but I watched with slight interest as the woman backed away with a pale face. But anyway, is there something weird stuck on my face? I rubbed my cheeks but didn¡¯t feel anything odd. ¡¸¡­¡­Ah, seriously. Why is she like that.¡¹ The woman had dropped her basket and was running on the path she¡¯d taken to get here. Perhaps, if I followed her, I¡¯d be able to find out more about my situation. T/N ?? ?? ??? ?? ? ?? ?? ??? ?????: Perhaps if I went that way I¡¯d be able to go to another place. I was feeling a little frustrated at her terrified reaction to my appearance, but she was only one person. I needed to find out about my situation before I started to make life plans. Other than being a transmigrator, I didn¡¯t possess any buff or abilities, so I had no choice but to be self-sufficient. I didn¡¯t even know my name. Feeling anxious, I sped up as I chased after the woman in fear of losing sight of her. My ankle had gotten caught in my dress, which I¡¯d worn for the first time, but I couldn¡¯t stop here. ¡¸Excuse me! Hey, wait a second¡­¡¹ No matter how much I called out to her, the woman continued running until she quickly disappeared. When I lifted my head, I saw that the sunset had passed and the glowing moon had appeared. What do I do now? Did I have to go inside that house and be alone again? I suddenly felt chills up my spine and then shook my head. Though I couldn¡¯t catch up to the woman, there would surely be others in the direction she had run towards. Now in the middle of a barren stretch of land without any lampposts, I had to hurry before the night fully descended. ¡¸Pant. Pant!¡¹ ¡­¡­But why was it so hard to move? Though I was only running in a straight direction, my body felt strangely heavy. No, to be precise, it didn¡¯t exactly feel heavier. Rather than simply lacking strength or being wrapped around by the hem of the dress, I was completely unable to walk. Instead, I felt like I was enveloped by something very fluffy. My body felt like it was buried in a blanket filled with something like feathers¡­¡­.Yes, feathers! That ticklish and fluffy feeli¨C¡­¡­ ¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!¡¹ For your information, I tried my best to alter the scream above so you could comprehend it quickly. But actually, the scream I made wasn¡¯t that ¡°human-like.¡± ¡°Honk, Honnnnkkkkk!¡± I sat down in shock as I heard the animal scream that rang out from my throat. I could only sit down. I needed legs to be able to run, but I couldn¡¯t see my own legs. And then what about my hand? Even my white hands that had been gripping onto the sides of my dress had disappeared. Left, right, up, down! No matter how many places I looked, I could only see black and more black feathers covering my entire body. ¡°HONKKKKKK!¡± What is this! What is all this! After running in a circle in the dirt, the reality of this situation sank in. A black swan shivered under the dark blue moon. T/N black-blue moonlight (changed to moon). it¡¯s what the raws said. -shrugs- If anyone saw this from afar, they might say it¡¯s a pleasing sight to see next to a beautiful lake¡­¡­but that¡¯s me they¡¯re talking about! Oh my God! I¡¯ve turned into a black bird! ¡°Hmm, I was wondering what the fuss was about.¡± A black shadow suddenly fell over my head just when I was about to faint. She was gorgeous, with blue eyes and silver-white hair, a woman who seemed like she would thrive in any sort of novel setting. If it was her beauty, I was sure she could be the heroine of a fairy tale. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to just stay inside¡­¡­Mother.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for that cold smile that chilled me all the way down to my feathers. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó After that, three months passed. Of course, they didn¡¯t just pass like that. During that time, I learned about my identity and the situation I was in. During the time other transmigrators, who knew of events in advance, had married and started businesses, I had only figured out my name and circumstances. And on top of that, I now had this fluffy body. ¡°Honk!¡± That¡¯s right, honk. Read this at littleajummas on wordpress, honkity honk honk bishes. I still couldn¡¯t get used to this voice of mine, but it¡¯s not like I could live with my mouth shut all the time. First off, my name is Catherine. Just by that name I could tell I¡¯m not a main character, since ¡°Catherine¡± wasn¡¯t a name you found in a novel. Even in the outside world, at best, it was a name you¡¯d see maybe two to three people using at the neighborhood language cram school. T/N ehem, in my humble opinion, catherine is an excellent name for a heroine. Anyway, the story¡¯s like this. Originally, I was the daughter of a baron situated at the frontier¡­¡­well, you could probably tell what kind of household I was from based on the fact I had been sold off to a man as old as my father. Had I only read a novel or two? I could guess what happened. My father had passed away early on, and my stepmother, who had used all the family funds on luxury goods, had eventually sold me. And as to what kind of family bought this beautiful woman¡­unexpectedly, it wasn¡¯t a gambler, sex maniac, or nutcase. And not just a count, or a marquis, but a duke! In addition, Duke Evendell was the lord of the northern region of the empire. ¡¸¡­¡­Wow.¡¹ My god! I¡¯m a duchess!? Please read this on the original website, littleajummas.wordpress.com. But the reason I couldn¡¯t be overwhelmed with happiness about this is that my husband, the duke, had passed away. He actually died the night I¡¯d arrived, so I probably didn¡¯t even have the chance to hold his hand. Since the expression of the person who¡¯d told me this story didn¡¯t have a speck of sympathy, I guessed that I probably wasn¡¯t registered as married to the duke before he died. Alright. If you¡¯ve heard up to this part, you¡¯ve probably noticed that this marriage was never normal in the first place. I hadn¡¯t been bought just for the charity of it, and if a woman was being forced to be a duke¡¯s wife, there had to be some underlying reason to be brought into this extraordinary household. The former duke, who had collapsed due to an injury from the empire¡¯s continental conquest, was without a wife, and only had two daughters. And so the eldest daughter, Lady Rania, had ruled the northern lands for many years in her father¡¯s stead. T/N ?? ¨C lady; it¡¯s different from ??, and in this case, it¡¯s referring to Rania as the duke¡¯s daughter. A duke¡¯s daughter is ?? (gong-nyeo) because a duke is ?? (gong-jahk)In the same way, a count¡¯s daughter is ?? (hoo-nyeo) because count is ?? (hoo-jahk). However, her crisis began when her father showed signs of passing away. In accordance with the imperial law, a son was to inherit the titles and properties Rania had used and enjoyed until then¡­¡­to put it in plain terms, she¡¯d only return to square one after working like a dog. But of course the smart lady wasn¡¯t going to quietly let this happen. Before her hard work went to someone else, she found a loophole in the system. In the case that a duke left behind a widow, all processes of inheritance would be suspended for a year, so as a temporary measure, she quickly found someone to fill up the spot as a stepmother. The year of suspension was originally for the widow to give birth in case she was pregnant with the duke¡¯s child after her husband¡¯s death. But Rania used this instead to make preparations. And if she found a proper husband and married him during the one year, she¡¯d succeed, game over. Whether it was the titles or wealth, she¡¯d be able to keep them all. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t automatically inherit this, she would have to formally inherit everything from the stepmother, who would at that point, have the rights and authority. So in other words, the stepmother had to be chosen carefully. A nobody, someone who didn¡¯t have support from their family and would naively hand over the position without a shred of greed¡­¡­ ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± I¡¯d won the lottery. I rapidly shook my head and laughed at myself. That is, it would have been if I could laugh that way, except I had a beak. ¡¸Ugh, that bitch.¡¹ That¡¯s right, bish. Read this at littleajummas on wordpress, bishy bishy bishes. Perhaps there had been something that made her suspicious, as the clever Rania had put a curse on the stepmother she¡¯d chosen with great care. Maybe she was worried I¡¯d run away and make trouble, or find a lover and have a child secretly, because as soon as the duke passed away, I was brought to this place and had been turned into this mess. ¡°As you know, Duchess Evendell, no, my stepmother, is struggling with shock over my father¡¯s death, making it difficult for her to take the position. It looks like I have no choice but to serve you as her proxy.¡± How was she able to concoct such poor lies about me as explanation? Even if Rania¡¯s words were questionable, no one would dare to question her. Since she had been ruling the northern lands for many years, her words had become law. And it looked like rumours that I had done something to do with the duke¡¯s death were circulating, which only gave Rania more of an advantage over me. The stepmother who¡¯d gotten rid of her husband in just a day and the sensible daughter of the legal wife. Which of the two do you think will capture the people¡¯s hearts? Rania was really someone who¡¯d do anything to achieve her purpose, as she¡¯d even go to the extent of using dark magic to make me like this. The maid who was frightened to see me on the first day of my transmigration must have believed whatever malicious rumors that Rania had spread about me. ¡¸¡­¡­Sigh.¡¹ What kind of bad luck is this, seriously. I smashed my red beak into the ground. I really needed to have a long talk with the god or author of this novel. What other novel world has a better transmigrator than me? Overnight transmigration? Okay. That¡¯s a given. An unprecedented marriage? Well, it¡¯s a little rattling, but it¡¯s something I can deal with. But the fact that my husband died on my first night in the household, and that my stepdaughter had placed a curse on me? This completely broke away from any sense of business ethics, author. ¡¸¡­¡­ ¡¹ I could spend time as the beautiful Catherine when the sun was up, but I changed back into a black swan during the night. However, after a while, I realized that nighttime wasn¡¯t the trigger for my transformation. Instead, I turned into a black swan when I was directly hit by moonlight. Which still meant that I couldn¡¯t easily run away from here. Because if I ran away and turned into a black swan, it could get extremely dangerous. Honestly, even if I was a beauty among black swans, where would I go? I wasn¡¯t being delusional just because these were my feathers, but seriously, if you went out and searched every inch of this lake for feathers that shined like mine, you¡¯d probably return empty-handed. ¡¸Ah¡­..¡¹ I don¡¯t want to rate animals by their looks, but I was leagues ahead in appearance compared to the elephants and giraffes in the zoo I¡¯d worked at in my previous life. I think it¡¯d be easier to describe me as the BTS of birds. I was sure that there¡¯d be a countless number of people who would come to see me as much as I was sure of my chubby body¡¯s noble and dignified appearance. But that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to be a spectacle. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Well then, did it look like I was going to lose everything in my second life as well? Unfortunately, there was one thing that the clever lady Rania did not expect. Though she may have hoped that her black-swan-turned stepmother would be in tears, twisting her body in despair every night¡­¡­ ¡¸You¡¯ve arrived, Swan-nim.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Mmhm. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡¹ When I nodded my head to the flock of ducks that swam by, they parted to make way for me. Even the ducklings and fish hiding behind them didn¡¯t dare to dart out and lowered their heads without anyone needing to tell them. ¡¸¡­¡­Hm!¡­¡¹ That¡¯s right, on this lake, I was the only and only queen. This is awesome! The feeling of cutting through the refreshing water, each water droplet bouncing between my feathers, this was the leisurely life that I had wished for in my previous life. In fact, if you lay down all the facts, a more comfortable life than this one was almost impossible. Since I now transformed into an animal, I could naturally understand animals. And actually, turns out that half of the lake¡¯s inhabitants were actually people who Rania had cursed as well. A leopard can¡¯t change its spots, eh? When she had begun ruling in her father¡¯s stead, Rania had turned any who objected to her will into animals and stored them all in this lake. To put it in better terms, this place was a great place for a noblewoman like me to be. ¡¸Then will you be returning to the house, Your Ladyship?¡¹ ¡¸Mmhm. Since the sun will be up soon.¡¹ The one who I could communicate with the easiest was the mallard Selene, who stepped out of my way as we talked. She originally worked in the duke¡¯s kitchen. It had been Selene who had told me all the details of my circumstances so far. She¡¯d helped me adjust to life on the lake when I first joined the inhabitants there, so we had a rather deep bond ¡¸Did you find out what I asked about?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ I asked here and there, but people here seem to know nothing about the person.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ ¡¸But according to a couple of frogs who¡¯ve recently moved here, the person was an envoy from another continent. I can ask them again, since they might even know that person. Their names are-¡¹ ¡¸No. It¡¯s fine.¡¹ Selene lowered her head apologetically, and I shook my beak to say that it wasn¡¯t necessary. I had asked her just in case, but I didn¡¯t really have any expectations. ¡¸Even if we found out, what could we do.¡¹ ¡¸But if we go look for the person, they might be willing to break Your Ladyship from the curse¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸No they wouldn¡¯t. Like I said, they don¡¯t even know who I am.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡­¡¹ Dismayed, Selene turned her head 180 degrees again and again, and though I felt sorry, I didn¡¯t want to give her any false hope. Even if I wasn¡¯t the main character, I couldn¡¯t help wondering which novel this world is from. So I told Selene all the names of the protagonists I remembered and asked her if she knew of any of them, but so far I¡¯d come up with nothing. At first, I was disappointed, but gradually, when I got used to living here, I wondered why I had to care about it so much. I mean, what was I going to do if I was the main character anyway. The main characters lived their lives, and I lived my black swan life. Right now, I wasn¡¯t even a supporting character, and even if the main character knew of my situation, they didn¡¯t have a reason to save me. Even though she was hateful, Rania wasn¡¯t the villain. Most of the top-name villains in romance fantasy novels were infamous in the world of the novel but still weren¡¯t mentioned much in the story itself. Even the Rania who had the highest possibility of being an important character among all the people I¡¯d seen so far, wasn¡¯t even as famous as a villain, so there was nothing more to say. ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯ve already adjusted to this lifestyle anyway so I can just quietly live from now on.¡¹ ¡¸But still¡­¡­ Ah, ah, Your Ladyship! Over there!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I see her.¡¹ As we saw someone approaching us under the dim lighting, Selene, frightened, quickly ducked into the water. It wasn¡¯t only her, as the other animals also quickly hid in the nearby bushes. For all of the lake inhabitants to hide in terror like this, there was only one such person. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re as carefree as always.¡± (the person) ¡°¡­¡­Indeed.¡± (Catherine) As soon as I stepped out of the lake, my legs stretched out as they gradually became more human-like. I could never get used to the feeling of it no matter how many times I went through the transformation process. Lastly, I dusted off my black dress and then turned to my uninvited guest. ¡°This lifestyle must be fun? I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t be able to adjust.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious about it, you can ask your sister to help you.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Rebecca¡¯s face contorted. Though she rudely spoke to me like this, she was my second daughter on the family register. ¡°So arrogant even though you¡¯re under a curse! There won¡¯t be anything good that¡¯ll come out of being like that to me!¡± ¡°I guess there¡¯s something worse than what I¡¯m going through right now?¡± ¡°You could end up living as an animal for the rest of your life-¡± ¡°Then won¡¯t your situation become troublesome? Smirk. I gave a shallow smile and straightened the hem of my dress. Who didn¡¯t know. Her sister hadn¡¯t left me as the only one among the cursed humans here to be able to take on human form because of her guilty conscience or of any good intentions. ¡°Because your sister occasionally needs a Duchess Evendell. A while ago I even attended the duke family¡¯s meeting and I signed the necessary documents for her.¡± ¡°Hey, you-!¡± ¡°Yes, mother¡­¡­is what you should say.¡± Yeah so read this on littleajummas.wordpress.com else u a lil bishy Rebecca. ¡°¡­¡­¡± At any rate, what a rude kid. I gently turned my head away towards the villa. At times like this it might be more comfortable to be a black swan, but it was my fate to turn into a person when the sun rose. ¡°Why, does my younger daughter have something else to say?¡± ¡°What? Hahh, even so, you don¡¯t have a lot of time left! You just watch, I¡¯ll make you pay!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Suit yourself.¡± Was there seriously anything scarier than being cursed and living as half-man half-animal, you idiot. No matter what she did, Rebecca couldn¡¯t hold a candle to her sister. If Rania was a psychopath who was indifferent to other people¡¯s sufferings, Rebecca was, at worst, a sociopath who then still recognized that others¡¯ sufferings were miserable. I don¡¯t know if this counted as a compliment, but this kid only had a super mean personality. She¡¯d probably been compared to her older sister since she was young and thus grown up to have a twisted personality, but only had the confidence to poke around the lake like this. You could say that even though she didn¡¯t have a curse placed on her, she was still a victim of her sister. Watching Rebecca stomp away, I raised my foot and lightly ascended the staircase. ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s not something for me to say.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó My daily routine here was monotonous. As I said before, I was the Duchess Catherine during the day and the Queen of the Lake during the night, so my time was spent in a limited area. I heard that if one went just a little bit further than this villa, they¡¯d reach a bustling city, but if I went there and then turned into a swan after being hit by moonlight, it¡¯d be all for naught. ¡°Hey now, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m Cinderella.¡± Since it was Cinderella, she only had to run away from the prince, if it were me, I¡¯d have to run away from hunters trying to capture me. Honestly I was a pretty beautiful black swan. Anyone could tell that I was a rare species that could make them rich, so no one would leave me alone once they caught sight of me. At first, I tried to come up with ways to run away and find a wizard to release me from the curse, but after hearing what Selene said a few days ago I changed my mind. ¡¸Well, previously, there were two ducks who escaped and made it to the wizard¡¯s house.¡¹ ¡¸Really? And what happened?¡¹ ¡¸What do you think. There¡­¡­you can see them.¡¹ Selene bitterly pointed her beak to two freshwater snails stuck onto a nearby rock. The northern regions had already entered Rania¡¯s control. No matter where I tried to run away to, I¡¯d end up returning to the lake anyway. It was impossible to escape from the northern lands within a day. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And frankly, I was already enjoying my current lifestyle. There weren¡¯t any words I could use to describe the quiet feeling of swimming under the moon every night. While working at the zoo in my past life, I used to wonder what exactly the birds were thinking as I watched them float atop the water, but now I knew. You¡¯re jealous, right? That¡¯s probably what they thought. Afraid that Rania¡¯s evaluation of my lifestyle would change for the worse if she saw me enjoying myself, I couldn¡¯t show my happiness outwardly, but I honestly did enjoy my lifestyle quite a bit. Rather, I could say that I might feel a little empty when I spent my time as the human Catherine. I still wasn¡¯t used to staying alone in a quiet villa. Rania would call on me once in a blue moon when she needed the Duchess¡¯s appearance, but since I had my face covered with a black veil as a widow, I didn¡¯t even know who I was meeting. Though I didn¡¯t know what would happen to me after the remaining nine months were over¡­¡­I decided to think about that later. ¡°¡­¡­Yes. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± It¡¯s not that I was indifferent to my life. Objectively speaking, the more I knew, the more I would fall into a pit of despair, so for now it was better off not knowing. For example, perhaps you bought a house with money you¡¯d shed blood and tears over, but then the previous tenant committed suicide in the house, and then when you went to complain to the home owner about it, the real estate agency and the home owner had disappeared. Or, for instance, the boyfriend you¡¯d seriously considered marrying was actually already married to someone else and even had a fiance as well, something along those lines. After experiencing events similar to the ones I¡¯d mentioned, I approached the world differently. Because no matter how angry I got and hopped around like mad before any of these things happened, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid misfortune. Anyway, this was something that had already happened as well, so not planning anything was surely the way to go. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 After experiencing events similar to the ones I¡¯d mentioned, I approached the world differently. Because no matter how angry I got and hopped around like mad before any of these things happened, I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid misfortune. Anyway, this was something that had already happened as well, so not planning anything was surely the way to go. In other words, if I patched up my problems when they showed up, I¡¯d be able to live at least one day to the fullest. ¡°Hmm.¡± At least, that¡¯s how it was supposed to be! ¡°Hooh.¡± For some reason, I couldn¡¯t stop sighing today. I flipped over my body while lying on the bed, but no matter what I did, I still felt uncomfortable, as if something were stuck on my back. Well, it was actually my mind that was troubled rather than my body. ¡°¡­¡­¡± I got out of bed. Looking out the window, I could see that there was still quite a while before night arrived. In that moment, I wished that instead of feeling down in my human state, that I could quickly turn into a black swan. In the end, I went outside, propping myself up on a hill next to the lake. ¡¸You¡¯ve come out early, Your Highness.¡¹ (some geese) ¡°Yeah, mmhm.¡± (Catherine) As more geese that had been floating on the lake approached to greet me, I waved my hand at them, indicating it was enough. I¡¯m not in the mood to receive your hellos, you know. So then why did I even come out to the lake? Well, it¡¯s not like I had anywhere else to go to. ¡¸Madam, you really did come out. The geese told me, but I didn¡¯t believe them.¡¹ ¡°Selene.¡± No secrets could be kept in this lake. Perhaps news traveled faster here because everyone floated and darted around in the water. Selene arrived and sat next to me. I spread out a couple of branches from a dry bush for her to sit on. ¡¸You don¡¯t look very happy, Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡­Mm. I don¡¯t?¡± ¡¸You¡¯ve been like this since Lady Rebecca came and went yesterday, no?¡¹ She caught on quickly. The me who¡¯d been trying to keep a straight face gave a sideways glare at Selene. It was probably her keen astuteness that got Selene turned into a bird. As the first person to figure out that Rania was a dark sorcerer, Selene was someone I couldn¡¯t seem to hide anything from. ¡¸Do not worry so much. It¡¯s not the first time Lady Rebecca has said such things, after all.¡¹ ¡°I know, but¡­¡­¡± Since she was my daughter, I couldn¡¯t help but worry. Sighhhh. The sigh that I had been holding back flowed out once more. In fact, the reason my heart was so depressed was because of those girls. Rania and Rebecca. My daughters in name were examples of the evil female characters that appear in novels. Even if I could adapt to everything else, it was hard to accept this part of my new life. We¡¯re the same age, how could they be my stepdaughters! Everyone had their own priorities, and so I didn¡¯t mind the fact that I¡¯d been sold off or cursed as much, but I had something I valued much more. In my past life, I grew up alone without siblings, much less parents, so I had many romanticized expectations to have my own loving family. It would be great to have a friendly and attentive husband and a dependable son, but a lovely daughter was surely the best for a mom! Soft, round cheeks, innocent, shiny eyes, and plump, chubby lips. ¡°Oh oh!¡± That¡¯s right. Oh oh it is. Read this at littleajummas.wordpress.com or you are a Rania :(( Just thinking about that made my heart so full that I felt choked up from emotion. Perhaps because of those thoughts, whenever I read a novel, my favorite scene wasn¡¯t when the male and female protagonists got together but when their children appeared in the extra stories. When I read about small, cute girls that resembled their mothers in the story, I would smile as I were reading about my own daughter. ¡®That¡¯s right. I¡¯m feeding this baby milk and changing their diapers with my novel payment, so this counts as my daughter!¡¯ And when I read about children who successfully grew up holding their mother and father¡¯s hands, I felt an immense sense of pride. For me to wish that for my own childhood¡­was too shameless, so I was content to read about it. ¡°¡­¡­Is what I wanted, but this, well.¡± One is a psychopath, while the other is a mean woman with a twisted inferiority complex. At the gap between reality and my expectations, I woke up from my fantasies. Even if I gave up everything else, this was my last wish. What sin did I commit for it to be like this! I didn¡¯t wish to become rich or to meet a handsome prince like other people did. I just wanted a normal life with a pretty daughter, spending each day full of love and joy, could there be a worse bolt out of the blue for me. ¡°If I knew this would happen, I would¡¯ve wished properly.¡± ¡¸Huh? A wish?¡¹ ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± I tapped the confused Selene¡¯s beak and stood up, dusting myself off. If I knew that the last wish I made at the zoom would come true like this, I would have wished for that. ¡­¡­Please give me a pretty daughter. Why wasn¡¯t I able to say those words? I touched my black blouse with a touch of regret on my face. Anyway, I was going to transform into a black swan soon, so I needed to go back to bed and rest my eyes a little more. ¡°I will go back for now. Go and catch some carp. It¡¯s carp season after all.¡± ¡¸About that, I did catch one earlier but, well, turns out that one was a human too. I was wondering why it was so big.¡¹ ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not something you can say while smiling¡­¡­Hold on!¡± Quiet. I didn¡¯t try to explain to Selene and just put a finger to my mouth. Selene looked around, afraid it was Rania or Rebecca who had come, but it wasn¡¯t them. No, to be precise, whatever I heard wasn¡¯t human. ¡¸¡­¡­Your Ladyship, what is going on?¡¹ ¡°Wait a second¡­¡­Didn¡¯t you hear that just now?¡± ¡¸What do you mean¡­¡­¡¹ ¡°Look, just now. It was the same sound!¡± Rustle. At the repeated rustling sound, I lowered my body once more. There was something hiding among the reeds. I pushed Selene behind me and carefully approached the sound, step by step. ¡°¡­¡­Is there someone there?¡± I called out at first, but there was no response. Though my appearance was human at the moment, I was the ruler of this lake¡¯s ecosystem, so if there was no answer, that only meant one of two options. It was either someone who¡¯d just been cursed, or it was an ordinary animal. ¡¸Her Ladyship is calling for you but you dare ignore her? Come out. Or else I will go over there and find you myself.¡¹ ¡°No no, it ¡¯s okay.¡± And, for some reason, I felt like it¡¯d be the second option. After placating Selene, I sneakily approached where the sound came from and bent back a couple reeds. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can come out¡­¡­Oh my!¡± I covered my mouth with the hand that had pushed aside a few reeds. It was definitely a living creature I¡¯d never seen before in this lake. A small, white, and adorable being was looking at me, blinking its red eyes. ¡°¡­¡­Why. It-it¡¯s a baby swan!¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t read this on the littleajummas blog. How could you. Oh my god. My breath stopped for a moment because you aren¡¯t reading this on littleajummas, are you? My breath stopped for a moment, and I could only keep looking. It was trying to hide itself within the reeds¡­¡­no, it was so small that it didn¡¯t even have to try. It sat crouching, its head tilted to the side, cuter than a doll. ¡°Look at it, it¡¯s a swan. That¡¯s definitely a swan!¡± ¡¸Yes, it looks like it hasn¡¯t been long since it hatched¡­¡­Perhaps its mother is nearby? Or did it lose its way?¡¹ ¡°Shh, it looks frightened.¡± I carefully lowered my body to the little swan that had been cowering at Selene¡¯s prattling. Fortunately, it only blinked its eyes and didn¡¯t look like it was scared of me or was planning on running off. ¡°Why is a swan here? The only swan on the lake is Sir Lemington and his wife! Did the two of them already have children?¡± ¡¸I doubt it. A short while ago they were fighting a great deal, blaming each other for getting themselves cursed. And so for the two of them to then meet up and have a kid after that, it seems a little¡­¡­¡¹ ¡°R, right?¡± It was a misconception that the cursed humans in this lake were only depressed or peaceful. Rather, maybe because they had been changed into animals, their mood swings were now wilder, and that their romantic relationships as human beings were nothing compared to them now. They seemed to have a tendency to do whatever they wanted, perhaps because there were less restrictions and no one to judge them, and a desperation from the uncertainty of ever breaking from the curse. In fact, I had only been here for 3 months, but I¡¯d already witnessed a married couple divorcing and three new couples forming. ¡¸¡­¡­But should I ask Sir Leamington just in case?¡¹ ¡°No. If the answer¡¯s no, what are you going to do then. And can¡¯t you see the baby¡¯s scared? I don¡¯t mean to speak ill of him, but you know how Sir Lemington is sort of rough-looking. What if the baby cries after seeing him, who¡¯s going to take care of that?¡± ¡¸Th, that¡¯s true, but-¡¹ ¡°First we need to calm down the baby. We can¡¯t accidentally cause it trauma by uselessly meddling in those sorts of things, we¡¯ll ruin its future then. We absolutely can¡¯t be too excited. We have to set a good example as the adults, got it?¡± ¡¸¡­¡­Your Ladyship, I think you¡¯re the most excited out of all of us here.¡¹ She hesitated but still ended up saying what she wanted to say. I pretended like I didn¡¯t hear her. Ergh, that keen sense of hers. I could feel that my cheeks and the nape of my neck redden, and my fingers had been tingling from the start. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Exactly where did such a thing like you fall from? Soft, white, baby feathers covered a body that had yet to grow proper plumage. I hadn¡¯t seen a baby animal like this one in a long time. As most of the cursed people in the Lake Perdium were exiled, young animals were rare. To be precise, if any of them wanted to have children at some point, they had changed their minds because of the curse¡­¡­Anyway, it was a baby. A baby, this was what I¡¯d been wishing for! ¡°Since it hasn¡¯t talked at this point, it probably isn¡¯t a person. Just a newborn swan.¡± ¡¸I agree. It would have said something if it were a person. And no matter how terrible Lady Rania is, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d curse such a young child.¡¹ ¡°Yeah you can tell, right?¡± ¡¸¡­¡­Exactly why are you liking this so much, Your Ladyship?¡¹ ¡°What do you mean, I¡¯m not.¡± I belatedly tried to behave myself, bringing my hands to my cheeks to cool them down. There wasn¡¯t anything in appearance that could distinguish cursed humans from normal animals. If the animal didn¡¯t speak then we had no idea of knowing if they were animals or cursed people. Apparently, some cursed humans weren¡¯t able to talk for up to several years because of the shock of being turned into animals. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 There wasn¡¯t anything in appearance that could distinguish cursed humans from normal animals. If the animal didn¡¯t speak then we had no idea of knowing if they were animals or cursed people. Apparently, some cursed humans weren¡¯t able to talk for up to several years because of the shock of being turned into animals. Was it sometime last month? I¡¯d caught what I thought was a normal carp because it hadn¡¯t said a word the entire time, but only when I was about to eat it did it say, ¡°It hurts, could you put me down first so I can say something.¡± ¡¸I feel like Your Ladyship is different from usual. You usually don¡¯t have much interest in what¡¯s going on in the lake.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not like that.¡± I¡¯d told her not to say anything unnecessary, but my eyes were still fixed on the baby swan. I couldn¡¯t keep being like this, but my steps didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Now, the sun is coming soon, so Madam will go in and take a rest until the moon rises. I will take this baby. If you go out into the field at the end of the lake, there may be some kids you know. ¡± ¡¸The sun is about to set but is Your Ladyship going to go inside and rest before the moon appears? I will take this child. If I go to the edge of the lake to the field, I might be able to find some kids I know to care for it..¡¹ ¡°¡­You¡¯re taking the baby swan to the field?¡± ¡¸Yes, these days, some feral dogs will come down every once in a while, so if we just leave it here then it might not even last the night.¡¹ ¡°No, shh!¡± Cover the baby¡¯s ears! Without thinking I extended my arms and picked up the baby swan. As I felt the baby swan breathing in my arms, so surprised at being picked up that it didn¡¯t even let out a cry, my voice also became quieter. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Selene, so why don¡¯t you leave first. Didn¡¯t you promise to help clean up the reed fields in the evening? A promise is a promise. Don¡¯t think lightly of the communal life.¡± ¡¸¡­¡­But then what about the baby swan¡­¡­¡¹ ¡°Hyoo-ooh, Well, it looks like I have no choice. I¡¯ll take care of her today.¡± I shrugged my shoulders and let out a light sigh. Selene shook her head and looked like she was going to die from annoyance, or as much as she could for a duck. ¡°¡­¡­I was just going to take a light nap, but now it looks like I really won¡¯t be able to rest.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡­¡­No one is here, right? As soon as I entered the villa, I looked around and then put the baby swan on a table. As for resting, I was already wide awake. I¡¯d slept yesterday and the day before, and I¡¯ll probably be sleeping tomorrow, so why¡¯d I need to go to sleep now? ¡°Hmm¡­¡­.¡± Okay then. I nodded my head as I examined the baby swan. The spotless white fuzz of feathers looked soft and like snowflakes just before they melted. At its hesitating and frightened appearance, I immediately moved it to the bed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just been so long since I¡¯ve seen a child.¡± Of course it¡¯d be scared stiff. I quickly pulled over a blanket and wrapped the swan in it. I felt like I needed to do something for the child but I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly I should start with, and I only grew more nervous. ¡°Alright now, how¡¯s that?¡± ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ I knew I wouldn¡¯t get a response, but I still waited for a bit before I chuckled. Since there wasn¡¯t anyone watching me, I slowly got on my belly and made eye contact with the baby swan¡¯s red eyes as it slightly tilted its head in confusion. ¡°Ah¡­¡­what do I do.¡± It¡¯s so cute I could go insane! I just wanted to nestle my face in that fluff and skip around the room. But if I kick up a fuss like that I¡¯d only frighten the baby swan. I bit my lips and supported my chin. I had always taken care of the baby animals that had been born or brought to the zoo in my previous life. ¡°Child, where exactly could your mother have gone?¡± ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡°Anyway, how can your eyes look as pretty jewels?¡± As long as you weren¡¯t scared of the color, anyone would want to kiss those sparkling eyes. They looked like rubies, and though I¡¯ve never seen one in person, I¡¯d say the child¡¯s eyes were of a purer and clearer quality. But¡­¡­aren¡¯t the swan¡¯s eyes usually black? I tilted the head I was supporting as I copied the baby swan¡¯s movements. For a moment, I thought it might really be a cursed person, but now I was sure it wasn¡¯t. If it had been cursed, it would have said something by this time. Though all animals can understand my words, the normal animals didn¡¯t have as diverse of a vocabulary as the humans. So even if I could understand what they said, it was pretty much just what they liked and didn¡¯t like, or maybe if they were hungry or sleepy. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But this child didn¡¯t even speak up. Except for the surprise when I¡¯d first discovered it, it didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of fear or distress from then until now. Only the kind curiosity that was unique to children remained. I kept tilting my head this way and that way until I snapped my fingers. ¡°Ah, ah! So it¡¯s like that!¡± That¡¯s right, it could be something like a mutation. If I thought of it like that, then it also made sense that the mother abandoned this baby swan. The baby swan flinched, perhaps startled at my sudden movements. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± What¡¯s wrong with such pretty eyes? My eyes teared up. I didn¡¯t have a memory of being abandoned since I was too young, but I could never erase the feeling that I¡¯d been thrown away by my parents. So as not to scare it, I carefully held the swan in my arms. ¡°They¡¯re so stupid. To leave such a pretty baby.¡± Hm¡­¡­but why couldn¡¯t I stop smiling. Knowing the reason why, I gave pressure to my cheeks so I didn¡¯t look like I was. Because it¡¯d be mean if I smiled right in front of the child¡¯s face despite their circumstances. But despite my efforts the corners of my mouth had slowly risen on their own. ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I just tend to¡­¡­smile a lot.¡± When the innocent eyes looked up at me, I made up an excuse. But how could I not smile in this situation. I might be getting a family member! And it¡¯s such a pretty baby at that! ¡°That¡­¡­what I¡¯m about to say might be a little weird, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡°Should I be your mommy?¡± I was nervous and swallowed saliva down my throat. I never thought that I¡¯d be saying this to a baby swan, but this was still much better than all the other moments I¡¯d had since I¡¯d transmigrated. I didn¡¯t know if I would say this to a baby swan, not a man, but honestly, I was more nervous than what had never happened. ¡°I was lonely you know!¡± No matter how satisfied I was with my life on the lake, I was still living the loner life I¡¯d had in my past life after I transmigrated. Especially since I was the only one who transformed back into human form and returned to the house among the lake inhabitants who stayed behind ¡°Think about it. This isn¡¯t really a bad thing for you, either.¡± ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ Even though I knew I wouldn¡¯t get a reply, I didn¡¯t take my eyes off the little baby swan as I spoke. As I thought, I should be a little more proactive in my approach. Reaching out and touching its head, I trembled as I felt like my hand was going to melt. ¡°Let¡¯s just live together. Hm?¡± ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ Though I asked for permission like this, I¡¯d already blackened on the inside like the black swan I was. ¡­¡­Well who cares. As long as I didn¡¯t want to send the baby swan away. Though I felt my conscience being pricked for a moment, I wasn¡¯t really doing anything bad. Since it had been abandoned by its parents and siblings, there needed to be someone to take care of the child unless its parents and siblings came searching for it. ¡®Honestly, even if they came now to take back their child¡­¡­is there even a chance that it¡¯s swan with proper principles?¡± It¡¯d probably abandon the baby it¡¯d thrown away a second time since it did it once already. I had already amassed a list of over a hundred reasons why I should be raising this baby swan in my mind. Though I tried not to overdo it my fingers itched to keep touching the baby swan, and I kept rubbing and stroking its cheeks. It was only when I saw its head lowering that I let go. ¡°You must be sleepy. Makes sense.¡± ¡¸ ¡­¡­. ¡¹ I gently laid the swan on a folded blanket. Though all I wanted to do was hug the child, I was just as sleepy after not being able to sleep a wink earlier. If I hurt the child by accidently pinning it down in my sleep just because of my needless greed, such a big crisis¡­¡­I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. I was going to turn into a black swan anyway. ¡°¡­¡­Haha. ¡° I gave an awkward smile and opened the window and curtains wide enough for the moonlight to reach my bed. If I did it like this, there was no way the baby swan would get crushed since I¡¯d be smaller. Though there was a much easier method of having the baby swan sleep separately on the floor, frankly, I didn¡¯t want that. ¡°It¡¯s okay to do this. It¡¯s the baby¡¯s first day.¡± After all, it must have been frightened after being abandoned. The idea that this pretty baby had been abandoned was already a foregone conclusion in my mind. Oguogu. I covered its head and leaned on one another. T/N: ???? is basically coochi-coochi-coo. I don¡¯t know which of the two of us fell asleep first, but I was definitely the first one to feel like I was dreaming. Thank you! To grant my wish like this! I had nothing else to wish for now that a baby had rolled into my relaxed lake life. Even better, it wasn¡¯t just any baby but a cute little swan! It was like a customized baby made just for the cursed Catherine. Maybe there was a slight error with all this because I was a black swan and a white swan had appeared, but it wasn¡¯t to the point that I could call it a flaw, really. ¡®It¡¯s probably not a dream, right.¡¯ And even in my dreams, all I could do was worry that the baby swan was just my imagination. It¡¯s cheating to give me something I wished for and then taking it back, after all. Murmuring that I¡¯d never let it be taken away from me, I stretched my arms toward the baby swan. No, it wasn¡¯t stretching my arms, I was spreading my wings. ¡¸Euh euhm, did you wake up?¡¹ Now when did this kid bury itself like this. I¡¯d opened my eyes and felt the baby swan had snuggled itself next to my stomach. As I thought, I¡¯m also the only for you, right? There was no doubt that it had searched to nestle into my arms by instinct. The baby swan that kept moving around next to me finally emerged from its burrow, tilting its head cutely. I smiled as I spoke. ¡°Well, you look surprised, but there¡¯s nothing to be scared about. Mommy transformed suddenly because-¡± ¡¸Mommy?¡¹ Wai, wait a second. I instantly froze in place as the baby swan¡¯s face brightened. It flapped its wings and innocently asked a question that put the nail in the coffin. ¡¸Mommy£¿ Awe you weally my mommy£¿¡¹ Chapter 7 My heart thumped furiously, aligning with my quick breaths. ¡®How should the female protagonist act at times like these?¡¯ Usually, they would go to the male protagonists using their buffs* and say things like, ¡®I¡¯ll help you solve your problems!¡¯ *T/N: Buffs here refers to giving support, similar to how the same term is used in MMORPG games. The female protagonists would then use their knowledge of the original story¡¯s future as a stepping stone to gain the male protagonist¡¯s trust and make rapid advancement to a contract marriage. But as for me¡­ ¡°¡­ What?¡± No, this was not right. Just looking at the Emperor¡¯s relaxed yet vicious expression made even delusions of a contract marriage disappear. It would be better to just die instead. Moreover, I was not a ¡®poor but smart female protagonist,¡¯ but rather, a ¡®widow with three daughters who don¡¯t even know her husband¡¯s face.¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡± What did they want from me? Their eyes gleamed dangerously as they closed in as if waiting for me to give some important prophecy. ¡®Why are they acting like this?¡¯ Even the Fourth Prince Tenon was staring at my hair the entire time. I subconsciously glanced at his hand that approached and almost touched my hair. ¡°Ehem.¡± When the Emperor also looked over, Tenon quickly withdrew his arm and let out an awkward cough. Rashid shifted his fierce eyes from Tenon to me. I could feel the tension in the surrounding air as his patience thinned. ¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯ I knew that he would draw his sword if I did not give him an answer soon. As time passed, the savage king¡¯s aura suppressed us further as he became more aloof. ¡°May I remind you what you said that day: ¡®There are things that shouldn¡¯t be seen by others in this vast world.¡¯¡± ¡°Someone might be after Your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you.¡± The three brothers did not change their stance, but their eyes had widened. The Emperor¡¯s expression, in particular, was cold as he laid on his back like a satiated beast. ¡°And how do you know?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Why bother asking? Reflect on your actions and behavior, you tyrant. After being on the battlefield for so long, did you expect to not have any vengeful enemies? Although it was a different claim from other female protagonists¡¯ ¡°I know your future!¡±, It was not entirely false. As a result, from now on, they will probably pressure me to provide evidence of the problem. ¡°¡­¡± What else can I say? Now that I had mentioned the Emperor¡¯s life, the three bloodsucking brothers would never let me go¡­ ¡°True!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh? My eyes narrowed at Tenon¡¯s sudden exclamation. What? Though I was grateful that there weren¡¯t any other questions, it devastated me to see how they were taking it so seriously. ¡°Duchess.¡± The top predator clung onto my consciousness that was trying to escape. However. ¡°Your Majesty, that was all I wanted to tell you.¡± If they were dangerous predators, then I would be a herbivore with maxed out survival skills. I¡¯ve already survived in similar situations twice before, so I can¡¯t not die here. Yeah, let¡¯s go all the way. With my eyes lowered, my face turned sorrowful. ¡°Honestly, there are things that I can understand just by observing this vast world, without anyone telling me. So to answer your question, I know it through the energy felt from the rain, wind, and ripples on the lake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As ambiguous as possible. My lips are no longer mine. If I could extend my life by 10 seconds for every answer, I would say anything for our princess and me to stay together for a hundred years. I need to be more serious in front of the three serious men if I want to survive. ¡°Of course, my words may sound ridiculous to you, but looking at the lake¡¯s energy flow, I felt¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± The Emperor raised a hand and interrupted me mid-sentence. That pair of mysterious and indifferent crimson eyes scrutinized me¨C from head to toe and back up. They were akin to rubies that were so clear that I could even see my reflection in them. Chapter 8 ¡°Quiet! I said to be quiet!¡± SNIP. I raised my voice at Selene, who mocked us as she could not stand the cringe, and stopped my tears from flowing. Though she put up an aggrieved expression and got cursed at for no reason, she soon realized that I had gone through something more serious than she had thought. [But, are you alright? What happened there¡­] ¡°Sob. Let me catch my breath.¡± [Did His Majesty somehow catch wind of it? Did he say that he¡¯ll take the princess with him?] [Nng, not go. I not go! Haniel not going. Brother is scary.] ¡°¡­¡± Haniel heard our conversation and shivered in my arms while she whimpered, without actually knowing what¡¯s going on. [No! Haniel likes mommy. Brother is scary. Very very scary! Boohoohoo.] ¡°Baby.¡± Again, burning rage started to fill up deep within me. I was horrified from having met him in that short period, so I could not imagine how the young girl would be. I could not bear just at the thought of it. ¡°You¡¯re not going. Haniel will stay with mommy. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t go to your brothers.¡± [R, really?] ¡°Of course. Haniel is now mommy¡¯s baby.¡± She must be anxious, seeing how much I¡¯m shaking right now. Haniel stopped sniffling after I straightened up and forced a smile. ¡®So this is why mothers can¡¯t show their weak side even if they are hurt or sick.¡¯ I endured and suppressed my trembling heart before Haniel got influenced by me again. The time passed relatively slow while waiting for our baby princess to fall asleep completely. However, like how Haniel felt a sense of relief from me, I, too, felt consoled by this young child. ¡®Is this how family is?¡¯ Though I never had this experience, I was happy to know that there was someone home waiting for me. Selene, who had been keeping quiet and waiting for some time, came waddling over. [Your Ladyship, it seems that she¡¯s finally asleep. She should be quite heavy. Why don¡¯t you put her down?] ¡°I want to stay like this for a while more.¡± Though it was tiring to carry her, putting her down was worse. As Haniel fell into deep sleep, I patted her and slowly leaned on my back. [But, what did His Majesty say? He didn¡¯t catch wind of Haniel and asked to take her away, so there shouldn¡¯t be anything for you to be afraid of. You should be confident and say that I did not commit any crime!] ¡°Don¡¯t comment unnecessarily when it has nothing to do with you.¡± Who was the one who stayed in her place after hearing news of the Emperor? Selene was definitely an animal now. Not only her empathy but her memory had also decreased significantly. Though I detested seeing her rolling her eyes so calmly, I did not have the energy to retaliate. I waved my hand for her to leave, but Selene did not budge and stuck around instead. [Are you really not going to tell me? Did His Majesty start forcing you to speak or get suspicious about you?] ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± [The Prince¡¯s were around as well. Were they as scary as His Majesty?] ¡°He¡¯s not scary, but how should I put it¡­¡± Recalling it made me feel weak, as if I had drank a potent alcohol, making me feel fuzzy. ¡°Overall, the brothers were quite weird. They were staring at me as if shooting lasers from their eyes. Phew.¡± [Isn¡¯t that because Your Ladyship is too beautiful?] ¡°Oh my.¡± I had wanted to reply, ¡®I won¡¯t be able to hate them if they had said that¡­¡¯ but instead, I forced a laugh. ¡°No, you should have been there to see it yourself. They treated me like a criminal, as if they were on a witch hunt.¡± [I, it was to that extent?] ¡°Don¡¯t even bring it up. I think it was the fourth prince? He was looking at my hair as if ready to just rip it off my head.¡± [What if he wanted to just severe your head off, instead of your hair?] ¡°¡­¡± Chills went down my back as I imagined if that had actually happened to me. But recalling the event again, none of them seem to have unsheathed their swords or displayed murderous intent. ¡°Mm.¡± I was more certain about that fact since I came back alive. If they were bent on killing me, they would have tried something on me right there and then, but instead, they sent me away. Plus, it would matter a lot since the man with crimson-red eyes had allowed it¡­ [Your Ladyship, what were you thinking that made your face so flushed?] ¡°M, me?¡± I then fanned my face and sat down, with my back slightly turned. I could feel Haniel¡¯s heartbeat spreading throughout my body. ¡°I was quite shocked. I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯ve escaped death multiple times a day recently.¡± [Why did you choose to raise the princess then? You¡¯ve lived your days so comfortably up until now.] ¡°Yeah. Of course, I¡¯ve been living comfortably until then¡­¡± But I had not felt this much warmth all those while. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Tap tap tap. She ran to me with light steps, and at the sight of her entering in my arms, the breath I¡¯d been holding escaped in a puff. How could she be so cute? I swiftly turned my head to the back, trying my best to avoid looking at her. At least, one good thing about the curse was that I could completely turn my head around 180 degrees. It was the perfect body for someone when they wanted to avoid looking at something. St, stop!) I firmly made up my mind and closed my eyes to strengthen my resolve. No matter how much I wanted a child, I wasn¡¯t going to lose my life for it. Now that I knew this kid is the little princess¡¯ of the novel, it was absolutely dangerous to keep her close. It¡¯s only a matter of time before we¡¯d get caught by her brother, and when we were it was no different from a time bomb blowing up the lake. TI¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m not your mother. How could I be your mom? ¡­¡­ You¡¯re nwot mwy Mommy? ¡°I told you i¡¯m not! Can¡¯t you tell by the different colors of our feathers? Mine are black, yours are white! I kept my eyes closed and indicated to the baby¡¯s feathers with my beak. I wished she could understand my desperate gesture. Full of will to survive, I spread my wings wide. ¡°Okay. You see this? You and are are this diff Ah we, we¡¯re the swame! Fwish, the baby swan, who spread her wings along with me, couldn¡¯t keep her balance and landed on her buttocks. I wondered what she was so happy about as I watched her flap her wings as much as she could. So you are mwy mommwy! I¡¯m going to go crazy, seriously. My anxiety continued as we moved to the lake, even until the sun rose. I roughly pointed my forehead to Haniel where to go and then buried my head in my wings. ¡°Mommy, Mommwy! Wook at thish! ¡­¡­I said I¡¯m not your mom.) Oh, oh.. The baby swan¡¯s shoulders sank. Perhaps because she was in a swan¡¯s body, it was more dramatic than slumped shoulders on a human body. ¡­Bu, bwut Mommwy and I are the swame.. Four colors are different, the colors! When her shoulders were slumped, even the way she bowed her head made it look like she was my actual daughter. At least our colors were different, otherwise I¡¯d have really been driven to being her mother. ¡®I can¡¯t. I absolutely cannot Who was she? She was the younger sister of the tyrant emperor, the most obsessive man in the world. I shook my head just thinking about what would happen when I got unfortunately stuck between the two of them. And without all that, I had been living in a cursed body the minute I opened my eyes. ¡­¡­.. What kind of fate is this? Thadn¡¯t even been wishing for something out of this world. I didn¡¯t want to be like everyone else who transmigrated, relying on a powerful and able husband, I wanted to live like a human being should. Ah¡­.not that I¡¯m even human anymore! It was another day of living as a half-person and a halfanimal. Realizing my situation once more, I felt bitter. Thinking how, in my previous life I was an orphaned parttime worker and in my present life I was now a cursed widow, I almost wanted to blow up the lake. Hyooo. ¡°Is something the matter, Your Ladyship? Your face has greatly thinned in a day.. ¡­..Selene. Selene wobbled over to me and I scooched over to give her a seat next to me. Haniel sneaked behind me, but I pretended I didn¡¯t see her. If I show any kind of hint of being happy that this small baby relies on me, I¡¯ll end up getting attached. Child, go stay over there for a bit while the adults talk¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­Mm? ¡°Go over there and play in the water for a bit. Splash splash, you know, right? ¡­¡­¡­. Plash plash? The tip of my nose soured as I forcefully sent away the Haniel who had been sticking to my wings like glue. She wasn¡¯t a child who deserved to be treated coldly like this. Even the back of her sadly walking away was so adorable to the point that my insides felt like they were burning. ¡°Is there something else you wanted to say, Your Ladyship? . ..Just. I turned around, avoiding looking at Haniel. It was better for everyone that the child wasn¡¯t here while I said what I wanted to say next. Do you perhaps¡­¡­ know about the emperor?, ¡°Y-y-y-yes? What, what did I say, why are you already trembling. Even before I properly explained more, just because the tyrant was mentioned. Selene was shivering from head to toe like a Disney cartoon, and only opened her beak after searching her surroundings. ¡°You had asked about the emperor¡¯s name last time. Though you then said it wasn¡¯t important.. ¡°No, that¡¯s because at that time! ¡­¡­ Because I didn¡¯t know she was the female protagonist¡¯s older brother. When I first fell into a lake and was trying to find out what kind of novel this place was, of course, I had asked about the emperor of this country. But I wasn¡¯t smart enough to remember the name of an emperor in a novel I¡¯d read for a bit. I wasn¡¯t even sure if his name was properly mentioned in the novel. ¡­He is Ra, Rashid-nim. Pernoa the Third. Ahhj As expected, I didn¡¯t know even when I heard the name. All characters in fantasy novels had similar names, and this guy was no different. It sounded like a pretty respectable name, a name appropriate for a tyrant character. And it wasn¡¯t like the name was important for my situation. ¡°That, Is that person really¡­¡­that terrifying? Don¡¯t get me started! The empire¡¯s territory expanded to twice its original size after the emperor ascended the throne! ¡­¡­¡­ How many wars must it have took for that to happen. I wasn¡¯t very surprised, as it was expected of the one who¡¯d been described as leaving trails of pools of blood behind him. It was typical of a tyrant, wasn¡¯t it? He¡¯d cut down anyone who disagreed with him in court, if his temper was roused, he¡¯d turn them to dust¡­..in other words, there was nothing good that came from being near that character. But it¡¯s said in the days when he was crown prince, he would visit the Winter Palace every once in a while, escorting the late Emperor and Empress.. Winter Palace? ¡®Yes. Not just here, but every province of the empire has its own royal villa. But among all of them the Winter Palace of our Northern Lands is the best, so much so that the late Empress would always make a trip to the Winter Palaces Selene raised her wings and indicated towards an area beyond the lake. Though I hadn¡¯t ever been to that area before, I caught sight of a vague shape in the hazy mist. ¡°But since the two have passed away, the visits don¡¯t happen anymore, of course. But why do you ask about him? ¡°Ah ah, doesn¡¯t the emperor have a younger sister? ¡°Is that so? Hm. Now that I think about it, I do believe I¡¯ve heard about something like that. ) ¡°What. You don¡¯t know for sure? I suddenly felt a surge of emotions and looked at the baby swan. My god, for her to be a princess that no one was aware of. I wanted to groan at the sight of the pitiful little swan that was paddling in circles, still waiting for me to call her name. ¡°How can you not even know that? It¡¯s the empire¡¯s one and only princess! But Your Ladyship, weren¡¯t you asking because you yourself don¡¯t know? ¡°Ah¡­¡­ That¡¯s true, but still. Even though Selene was usually staring off into space, she¡¯d hit the bull¡¯s eye every once in a while. When I calmed down and stealthily turned my head back to her, Selene energetically spoke. ¡°To be honest, the emperor has many younger siblings. You see, every time we eventually heard a rumour, it was usually of the late Empress being pregnant. ¡­..Loo, looks like the late Emperor and Empress lived in conjugal harmony Indeed. That¡¯s why they must have passed on almost at the same time.) Tap tap, when I turned around at the tap on my foot and looked at the baby swan and saw how delighted it was to get my attention, my nose soured. I mean, it¡¯s not like the child did anything wrong. If just one of the two parents had stayed behind, this child wouldn¡¯t be subject to such a horrible life. Child, your fate isn¡¯t so good, either. I can¡¯t believe that, with so many brothers around, you would end up being thrown to a cursed and widowed black swan. I wrapped my stinging chest with my wings. This situation was definitely a red flag. But my heavy heart felt at ease as soon as I looked at the baby swan. ¡°Even so. If she¡¯s the one and only princess of the empire, wouldn¡¯t she get some kind of special treatment? Ah ah, is she perhaps a concubine¡¯s daughter? Perhaps it¡¯s like that because she doesn¡¯t share the same mother as the emperor¡­ ¡°Of course not. The late Emperor was only ever with the late Empress. He had no concubines. ¡°Wait what. So they¡¯re even blood-related siblings? I¡¯d be able to understand if she was a stepmother¡¯s daughter instead. Their birth mother had suffered so much giving birth, but did they not even feel pity for that last child?! They have money, they have power! Frankly, as long as they had the heart to, they could take care of the child as much as they wanted. I felt enmity flare up at the tyrant I hadn¡¯t even met. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. How can a brother treat his sister like that? ¡°It¡¯s probably because the late Empress passed away. At least for the other princes, their names had been officially announced and had a festival in celebration of their birthday. The last commemoration was 8 years ago for the twin princes, so it¡¯s been a very long time. I even remember that the duke offered up a present for the celebrations ¡°And for the little princess?, Originally, before a prince or princess reached 2 years of age, they should have had their names and titles put up on temples all over the continent, but some people said the princess was sick, and other s said that the princess had died early¡­¡­. Died, who said she died! ¡­. Wait. Your Ladyship, why are you yellingu Do you think I can¡¯t not yell in this situation? She had perfectly fine webbed feet and an adorable little beak! My kid might be cursed, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s lacking in other ways! Ho-onk! I flapped my wings, trying to cool off. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¡¸Originally, before a princess or princess reached 2 years of age, they should have had their names and titles put up on temples all over the continent, but some people said the princess was sick, and others said that the princess had died early.¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡¸Died, who said she died!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Wait. Your Ladyship, why are you yelling.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think I can¡¯t not yell in this situation?¡¹ She had perfectly fine webbed feet and an adorable little beak! My kid might be cursed, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s lacking in other ways! Ho-onk! I flapped my wings, trying to cool off. My voice cracked a little, and Haniel turned around to look at me and giggled. I¡¯m not sure if a baby swan can actually laugh like that, but it looked like that to me. ¡¸Your, Your Ladyship. Why do you keep getting worked up, is there something going on?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­No. It¡¯s nothing.¡¹ I suddenly thought of something while I gave an evasive answer. And thinking back on what I¡¯d heard from Selene so far, I felt a spark of hope light up in me. ¡¸Hey, if the emperor doesn¡¯t really care about the princess, doesn¡¯t that mean he won¡¯t know if she¡¯s gone missing?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Uhh yes? But why do you ask?¡¹ ¡¸The emperor is already busy with the war conquest and on top of that, he still has yet to crown an empress, so even if he had someone taking care of the princess, if she disappeared, he wouldn¡¯t really¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes. He wouldn¡¯t really kill someone over it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­..¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯d probably tear them limb from limb.¡¹ Selene slowly opened her eyes and then shrugged like it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡¸That¡¯s the kind of person the emperor is. Years ago when the youngest prince was kidnapped, he caught the criminal himself and then had him burned over a fire for an entire week. He made sure to only scorch him gradually so that the criminal wouldn¡¯t die immediately¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Hey hey hey, you are just, seriously. ¡¹ How can you say something like that with such an innocent face. The ray of hope disappeared as I looked at Selene gleefully imitating what the kidnapper must have looked like burning at the stake. And after turning round and round like a roasted duck, Selene noticed my complicated look. ¡¸Really, Your Ladyship. And on another note, what should we do with that kid? I also asked around today but no one knows about it.¡¹ ¡¸What do you think we should we do.¡¹ I heartlessly took back the hands I¡¯d automatically stretched out towards Haniel. I was unlucky as it is, it¡¯d be the worst case scenario to get caught up in this mess. ¡¸We need to find its owner immediately.¡¹ ¡­¡­Of course I¡¯d hate to be a smoked swan. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡°How did it go?¡± Rashid¡¯s voice dropped to a cool tone as he spoke while sitting on the throne. His gaze was aloof as his eyes skimmed over the letter that was passed to him, not even giving the kneeling fourth prince, Tenon, a glance. ¡°¡­¡­Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I asked you how it went.¡± The throne that was embellished with diamond and silver seemed to lose its shine in front of its owner. The overwhelmed Tenon falteringly opened his mouth only after being prompted to quickly speak by his second brother, the Grand Duke Kirel. ¡°It, it seems that Loam cast a hypnosis spell on the princess¡¯s maids. They don¡¯t remember anything that happened after Loam entered to visit the princess. They all get splitting headaches when they try to remember more¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Then just cut them off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use for heads that only hurt and can¡¯t remember anything.¡± Rashid lifted his eyes with a look as if what he said was completely natural. His eyes, which were the reddest and closest to the color of blood among the royal siblings, held no emotions within them. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Why are you just standing there?¡± How dare you, when I told you what to do. Growing impatient, his eyes narrowed dangerously. His beautiful looks, as if sculpted, kindled with an otherworldly rage. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it then I have no choice but to do it myself.¡± ¡°Hyung-nim.¡± Unable to watch from the side any longer, Kirel stepped in front of Tenon and spoke. As the next oldest younger brother to the emperor who had yet to have an heir, he had a little more say than the other siblings. A golden cloak, which could only be worn by the ruler, fluttered beneath Rashid¡¯s feet. ¡°Please calm down. Loam probably cast a powerful spell and thus it will be absolutely impossible for those maids to remember anything.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying, spare the things that lost their owner?¡± ¡°Pl, please reconsider for when Haniel returns. We need to have people to watch over the child, and as Your Majesty knows, you¡­.ehem.¡± Not only Kirel, but Tenon as well, lowered their heads as if powerless. And if the other princes were here, they would have acted in the same way. The only girl in the imperial palace that was originally full of boys. Just by thinking about it would make one get body aches all over. The princess¡¯s small, delicate body that looked like it would break at any moment. The brothers, who at the warfront would yell at each other, ¡®I¡¯m first,¡¯ before running into the chaos, would push each other forward while saying, ¡®You first,¡¯ in front of their baby sister. As for the only person who¡¯d approached the baby without hesitation¡­¡­. ¡°¡­¡­..What did I do?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Kirel dropped the thought. He swallowed a sigh as he looked at Rashid¡¯s eyes. He still couldn¡¯t forget how his older brother treated the newborn infant. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Your Majesty, Mother didn¡¯t have enough energy as she gave birth to the child and has¡­My deepest apologies. She was without much strength in her old age, and was shocked by Father¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Is this the child?¡± Step step. Unlike a man who had returned home only to hear the sad news, Rashid had on a calm expression. He didn¡¯t seem to be very sorrowful or surprised at the news of the one who¡¯d passed on. His blood stained cloak fluttered as he approached the golden cradle. ¡°¡­¡­Hyu, Hyung-nim! You can¡¯t-!¡± ¡°Is it dead?¡± Poke, as expected, the finger that he used to jab at the baby¡¯s cheeks was covered in blood. What did he want to do! As the appalled brothers desperately rushed forward to stop Rashid, but before they could do anything, the infant¡¯s large red eyes flinched and opened, quickly filling with tears as the small face appeared very close to bursting into wails. ¡°Hm¡­¡­ Looks like the child¡¯s alive.¡± That was all he could think to say when he saw his newborn sister after returning from the warfront. At that time, he looked as though he was bored, without any emotions expressed on his face. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as the child¡¯s alive. I¡¯m going to return, so I¡¯ll leave the child¡¯s welfare to Kirel for now.¡± He turned around and, after cleaning his hands of blood with the handkerchief offered by a maid, walked away without pause in his step. It was obvious where he was returning to. Kirel, who was about to be abandoned with the blood-stained child, raised his voice. ¡°Pl, please give her a name! Only you, Hyung-nim, can grant the princess a name according to Rohanian tradition¡­¡­.¡± ¡°How annoying.¡± Rashid stopped walking and turned his head. His eyes held a look as if wondering if a baby girl really needed something like that, but of course, a name was necessary for everyone. After sinking into thought for a bit, he loosened his furrowed eyebrows and raised his chin as he spoke. ¡°¡­¡­.Haniel. Use that.¡± ¡°Hyooh.¡± Are you serious, how could you give the child a name that Mother used for her pet in the past. Kirel thought of the pet swan that used to float around the lake in the empress¡¯s palace, and shook his head. Though they weren¡¯t able to get an oracle for the naming like they had for the other princes, Kirel couldn¡¯t believe that Rashid would just casually stick on a name like that without doing anything else. But his older brother, who had ascended the throne as a strict emperor after their father¡¯s passing in battle, had given the order, so unless another order came out of his mouth and since there wasn¡¯t an oracle or anyone else to contest this, all everyone could do was just smile and take it. ¡°¡­..Speak. What are you saying I did?¡± ¡°Hyung-nim.¡± At the unexpectedly persistent Rashid, Kirel started sweating bullets, but it was better this way if he could prevent his eldest brother from killing the maids. ¡°Haniel seems to still be shy and unable to break out of her shell. She also seems to struggle with speaking as her speech is slower than others her age, so if you change the people who had been taking care of her, that would definitely-¡± ¡°The child¡¯s speech is slow?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did you not know?¡± Kirel opened his eyes wide as he appeared shocked and confused. He then looked at Rashid with a slightly reproachful expression on his face. ¡°Then when will she be able to talk properly?¡± ¡°That, that is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± In actuality, neither of them knew about the child¡¯s education and development. From the 27-year-old Rashid to Loam, who had just gone through his coming-of-age ceremony, the brothers had been born within a year or two of one another, but the siblings after Loam were born with more years in between. The sixth and seventh children, the twins who had turned ten this year, were young enough already. But then their mother gave birth to the youngest that was three years younger than the already young twins, a girl, turning their family into a situation beyond what words could describe. ¡­¡­What a situation. Though the brothers had all worried for their mother, who at that time was past forty, her pregnancy to them had always been like a story from a far off country. Looking at their mother¡¯s bloated stomach made them turn their heads in a daze already, of course they couldn¡¯t have imagined a tiny sister growing inside. ¡°Um, Hyung-nim. Perhaps if you throw or drop the child like you did with Helon or Aaron and she cries from it hurting-¡± ¡°Are you crazy, Tenon!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s also a method, though! But the Grand Duke glared so hard at Tenon that it looked like his eyes were about to fall out. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°Um, Hyung-nim. Perhaps if you throw or drop the child like you did with Helon or Aaron and she cries from the pain-¡± ¡°Are you crazy, Tenon!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s also a method, though! The Grand Duke glared so hard at Tenon that it looked like his eyes were about to fall out. Though it was true that Tenon, as the captain of the palace guards, had instructed the twin brothers a couple times, his method was very different from the education for normal people. But Kirel was most worried about how his big brother had a ¡®Exactly what¡¯s so wrong with that?¡¯ expression on his face. ¡°A-anyway, why don¡¯t we wait a little longer for Haniel to grow. She definitely has emotions, for one, and she doesn¡¯t cry all day long. But if you are really curious¡­..¡± ¡°I got it so shut your mouth.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± Rashid, who had cut Kirel off midspeech, didn¡¯t ask any more questions. Anyway, everyone here was the same, as they didn¡¯t know anything about their baby sister¡¯s development. So even if the three of them racked their brains to remember something about their sister, they wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with anything else. ¡°So you were all here.¡± ¡°Peyton.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± At Third Prince Peyton¡¯s appearance the other three turned their heads to him in unison as they emerged from their chaotic thoughts. The feudal lord of the Southern Lands and the commander of the knights, Peyton was the most prudent and self-possessed among the seven brothers. Most of his time was spent in the southern regions of the empire but the missing princess was a serious matter, and he was the first person to begin tracking down Loam¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Alright then, how are things going?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve received reports that traces of Loam have been felt in the Thebes and Beiron regions. Though it seems that he¡¯s moved on from there a week ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Then that means he¡¯s gone to the North.¡± Tap, Rashid tapped the armrest as he came to this concise conclusion. Peyton hurriedly lowered his head as the room descended into a chilling atmosphere. ¡°I will send magicians there, and join them¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Rashid stood up and raised his hand with a small smile on his face. There was nothing welcoming about this rare expression to his younger brothers. Because the last time their big brother smiled, an entire country disappeared off the face of the planet. ¡°I¡¯ll finish this with my own hands.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡®Is he saying that only he could be mean to the child?¡¯ If you don¡¯t care enough about the child then you should completely cut off your interest in her! Why did he make it so no one else could take care of the kid? Why he is trying so hard to be a tyrant. No matter how much I tried to find a loophole, there was no easy way to take in the kid. Just in case, I¡¯d talked to all the nobles and knights among the lake inhabitants and asked them about the emperor, but they all said the same thing. ¡¸Bu, but why suddenly about the emperor? If you¡¯ve lived up until now without knowing of him, it¡¯d be best to continue that way.¡¹ ¡¸How terrifying is he though? He can¡¯t be scarier than Rania, can he?¡¹ ¡¸Lady Rania, she¡­she¡¯d be a saint compared to the emperor.¡¹ I¡¯d heard all I needed to know if they called Rania who¡¯d cursed them with dark magic a saint. And thus, I cleanly swept away my plans of ¡®being a caring mother¡¯ and quickly began to execute a new plan. I can¡¯t calm down while I was embracing a ticking time bomb to my chest, can I? ¡¸Come over here for a second, child.¡¹ ¡¸Mommwy?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I. told. you. I¡¯m. not.¡¹ No matter how many times I clearly explained to Haniel, she was busy constantly tottering after me. Seeing how she stuck close to me today, as if the world would end if she was apart from me for an instant, I firmly made up my mind. ¡¸Sit here. Be careful so you don¡¯t hit the ground too hard.¡¹ ¡¸Uh huh.¡¹ Plop. I grabbed at my heart again as I saw her plunk herself to the ground and then look around her surroundings. Can you please not give me a heart disease that I don¡¯t have? I let go of my chest and tried to put on a resolute expression. ¡¸I¡¯m not your mother, Haniel.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Then where ish Hanwiel¡¯s mommwy?¡¹ ¡¸That¡­¡­.¡¹ She¡¯s probably in heaven. Though I¡¯d hardened my heart to say this to her, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her that. At my hesitating appearance, Haniel rubbed her beak against my feathers, unable to take notice of the situation. I closed my eyes. ¡¸The point is, I¡¯m not your mother.¡¹ ¡¸So from now on, you can¡¯t call me by that name.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­¡­Thwen if Mommwy ishn¡¯t mwy mommwy, whaddo I call you?¡¹ ¡¸That¡­¡­.¡¹ My mouth dried out as I looked at Haniel who was asking only the difficult questions. If I unnecessarily told her my name and she ended up revealing it to her brother later, it was game over for me. I wouldn¡¯t mind so much if I¡¯d raised the child, but at this point I wouldn¡¯t even be able to raise the child before having to desperately look to deliver the baby swan back to its owner. Mom was an absolute no-no, my name was even more of a no-no, then the only thing left was¡­¡­ ¡¸Black Swan-nim!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­Bweck Wan-ning?¡¹ ¡¸No. Black. Swan. Nim. Yes, let¡¯s go with that.¡¹ Though I got the feeling she wouldn¡¯t be calling me by that name often. I took a step towards her as she stuck out her tongue, trying to pronounce the name. Seeing my movements, Haniel approached me with delight. Though I felt sorry for forbidding her from calling me her mother, I needed to survive first. ¡¸Haniel, could you tell me how you ended up coming here?¡¹ ¡º¡­¡­¡­Hm?¡¹ ¡¸You probably didn¡¯t come here alone. Do you remember who brought you here?¡¹ It was ridiculous for me to hold onto a three-year-old and ask such a question, but desperate times called for desperate measures. No matter how much I wanted to return Haniel to her brother, I needed some kind of hint for what would happen if I did. And since she was the female lead, she must be smart enough to understand what I was asking. ¡¸Haniel, where were you living before you came here? Do remember where your home is?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¹ Oh my, well look at this kid closing her mouth on me. She quickly grasped the mood of the conversation, as expected of the female protagonist. If Haniel was the protagonist I was the supporting character leveled to the max. And I had prepared a secret weapon for this sort of situation. ¡¸Well then, take your time to think about it as you eat this.¡¹ ¡¸Whas thish?¡­¡­Mmm!¡¹ Her already large eyes grew even bigger. Ohnomnom, this was definitely something that would shock a three-year-old¡¯s taste buds. ¡¸Ish, ish gwood!¡» ¡¸Of course. No doubt it¡¯s delicious.¡¹ Since you¡¯re a swan, even your nose will twitch by itself whenever you see this now. When I placed some more dried fish in front of her, Haniel gobbled it up with relish. Though it was a poor snack beneath the status of a princess, that was far from the case for a swan. And I knew this all so well because¡­¡­ I had been the same. ¡®Ah, man, I¡¯m drooling, seriously.¡¯ I was also in the swan form right now, so of course I¡¯d also be itching to have some. The fish that I¡¯d never even look at as a human being roused my appetite as a swan. But wasn¡¯t I a zookeeper in my past life? Feeding just one baby swan should be a piece of cake for me. ¡¸P, pwease gib me mwar! Hwaniel wans to eat mwar!¡¹ ¡¸Alright, then let¡¯s try again, where were you living before you came here?¡¹ ¡¸Pawace!¡¹ The speed at which she adjusted was frightening, as the baby swan cutely chirped out the answer. But was it okay for the protagonist to succumb this quickly? I felt my conscience was pricked but I still had a lot to figure out. ¡¸Okay so our Haniel lived in the palace. But how did you end up coming out? Are you usually allowed outside?¡¹ ¡¸Woam Oppa held me tightly and carried me out!¡¹ Lwike thish! Lwike thish! Haniel demonstrated by wrapping her wings around her body while continuing to chew on the dried fish in her mouth. The white round creature was so sweet I felt like I was looking at the sweetest of cotton candy that would melt away in your mouth. ¡¸Re, really? Who¡¯s Loam oppa?¡¹ ¡¸I lwike Woam oppa. He can mwake fwowers and sparkwy thingsh come from his hwands! And when he hweld me I even got wingsh lwike thish!¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­Uhh.¡¹ Roughly guessing, seems like this brother is a magician. Not surprising. It made sense for there to be a brother like that since she had as many as seven of them. It¡¯d be utter chaos if all seven of them were war maniacs. And if he was really a full-fledged magician, it made sense that he could have turned Haniel into a swan just for fun. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± And more than anything, it looked like the baby princess was very fond of this older brother of hers. Children can¡¯t fake the kind of joyful expression she had on right now as she spoke of him. ¡¸It¡¯s exciting when Woam Oppa cwomes! He tells me stowies and pways wiff me!¡¹ ¡¸Then what about your other brothers?¡¹ ¡¸..¡­Hnnnng. ¡¹ ¡¸Ah, no, that¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need to know about the others!¡¹ I hurriedly shook my head as I saw the tears pooling in her glistening eyes. Only when I fed her some more dried fish did her tears stop. ¡®At any rate, those bastards.¡¯ What had they done that the kid would start to cry as soon as I asked about them. I muttered to myself as I split the dried fish into small pieces and gave them to Haniel. I thought it was a relief that there was at least one brother who seemed to take care of her. ¡¸But where did Loam Oppa go? Why did you come to the lake alone?¡¹ ¡¸Uh huh. Sho¡­¡­.¡¹ Gulp, after stretching her neck as she swallowed the dried fish, Haniel looked at me with her large eyes and spoke. ¡¸Woam Oppa asked me where I wanted to gwo an I shaid I want to go to where Mommwy ish!¡¹ ¡¸Your mother?¡¹ ¡¸Mmhm. He shaid that if I gwo to the Wake Wand thwen Mommwy will be there. Bwut¡­¡­.¡¹ Awe you weally nwot mwy Mommwy? I swallowed my spit as the dejected baby swan lowered her head. Wait, no, why are you crying while eating again. Though the child was adorable no matter what she did, I quickly tried to calm her down before she actually began to cry. ¡¸I, I¡¯m not your mother but I¡¯ll look for Loam with you. Okay?¡¹ ¡¸Woam Oppa?¡¹ ¡¸Mmhm. Haniel, you like Loam Oppa. Right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡¹ Though she still looked gloomy, she didn¡¯t express disapproval. She mumbled in a small voice as if all her energy was drained out of her. ¡¸Mm¡­¡­ Woam Oppa shaid he¡¯d buy a tasty cwake but. He twold me to wait here pwatienwy while he wen and gwot the cake but. Hnng. ¡¹ ¡¸Wh, where was ¡®here¡¯?¡¹ ¡¸I dunno. Hwaniel did a gwood job waiting, bwut oppa didn¡¯t cwome so I gwot sho scwared I fowwowed the bwack birds and cwame to Wake Wand. ¡¹ ¡¸What, how irresponsible!¡¹ What are you doing just leaving the kid in the middle of nowhere! Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡¸Mm¡­¡­ Woam Oppa shaid he¡¯d buy a tasty cwake, he twold me to wait here pwatienwy while he wen and gwot the cake but. Hnng. ¡¹ ¡¸Wh, where was ¡®here¡¯?¡¹ ¡¸I dunno. Hwaniel did a gwood job waiting, bwut oppa didn¡¯t cwome so I gwot sho scwared I fowwowed the bwack birds and cwame to Wake Wand.¡¹ ¡¸What, how irresponsible!¡¹ What are you doing just leaving the kid in the middle of nowhere! Just when I thought the magician brother was at least a bit better¡­turns out everyone in the tyrant bloodline is the same. ¡°Wait and I¡¯ll come back for you¡± is what everyone says before abandoning children. What was so necessary about feeding Haniel a cake that he abandoned her and created this whole predicament? I could barely stop the curse words from coming out of my mouth. ¡¸Mommwy¨C no, Bwek Swan-ning¡­¡¹ ¡¸Shh, don¡¯t cry! There¡¯s no more fish.¡¹ Hiccup. The baby swan hiccuped in alarm after seeing my stern face for the first time. But there was no time to soothe her. The golden time for finding lost children is 72 hours, and so I waited, my eyes showing renewed determination as I saw the sun rise over the window. ¡¸Alright then, let¡¯s set off, shall we. ¡¹ ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡¸Your Ladyship, are you really going to go out looking by yourself?¡¹ ¡°Then what should I do? Do you want to go?¡± ¡¸Why-why would I¡­¡¹ Tap tap. I shifted back into my human form as the moon disappeared. I brushed out the lower ends of my dress and turned to face Selene, who had backed away in fear. Like most of the lake inhabitants, Selene believed that leaving the lake spells death. ¡¸Why don¡¯t you just wait here a little more?¡¹ ¡°You can¡¯t just think people are going to find you if you wait, don¡¯t we all have families? They¡¯re not coming, anyone can see they¡¯re not!¡± I didn¡¯t want to give a reality check at a time like this, but I was certain everyone in the lake had some sort of family or friend back at home. And yet for years, no one even started investigating. They either assumed their loved ones were dead or were too afraid for their safety to pry. ¡°What will change if we stay here? We should leave today to at least try to find Haniel¡¯s brother before it gets too late.¡± ¡¸But there aren¡¯t any clues to start with¡­didn¡¯t you say she doesn¡¯t even know where she got lost? And Your Ladyship¡¯s state of mind hasn¡¯t fully recovered.¡¹ ¡­¡­Ugh. That little. I turned to glare at Selene with balled fists. But because of what I¡¯d said previously, I had to restrain myself from grabbing and twisting her beak around. ¡°She said her brother left to get her some cake. We just have to go to a cake shop. They might know something.¡± ¡¸But there will probably be a number of cake shops if it¡¯s in the city. Are you going to go to all of them?¡¹ ¡°I probably can¡¯t do that even if I wanted to, right?¡± I understood Selene¡¯s worries. At this time of the year, I could only stay in a human body until 6 in the evening. Thus, I didn¡¯t have much time if I wanted to return before then. ¡°So hurry up and hand me the stuff I told you to get.¡± ¡¸Your Ladyship, you shouldn¡¯t say that so lightly. I risked my life to hide this while bringing it to you today. If I had been caught, I would have been been on someone¡¯s dinner table¡­.¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s alright with this, right?¡± ¡¸Heu Uck!¡¹ *Turn* Selene opened her mouth as I threw her a snack. I picked up the brown parchment paper she had dropped from her beak and unfurled it. ¡°This is the map of the city, right?¡± ¡¸Mm om nom mm, yes. I snuck into the kitchen using the rear exit and picked this up¡­oh my, how is this so delicious?? I didn¡¯t use to like fish that much, I wonder how it¡¯s so good now, omnomnom.¡¹ ¡°Eat first and then talk, just eat.¡± *Munch Munch.* Entranced by the food, Selene lowered her head. I shook my head at Selene, who was the picture of unreliability as she ate the dried fish snack with fascination. But since she was the only one who knew the layout of the duke¡¯s residence, Selene was the perfect one to go on missions to take certain items. ¡¸Your Ladyship, what¡¯s the secret to your dried fish? It¡¯s totally different from eating it raw!!¡¹ ¡°Of course it is.¡± I worked with animal feed for 10 years straight in my past life, so I was a pro at matching the taste preferences of animals. Since I¡¯d figured out all the subtle differences in taste buds from species to species, if it was this much, I had a Michelan five star guide for making animal food. ¡¸Please, Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t you try living as half human and half animal.¡± In addition, I was able to use my hands during the day, unlike the other lake inhabitants. While Selene was looking after the others to see if they were dead or living well, I was becoming more of an expert in making animal feed. Goodbye, bland animal food. Sizzling, stir-frying, kneading, baking. While others had buffs while learning skills and had their future laid out before them, why was I, even after coming here, working with animal food¡­¡­ ¡°Whew.¡± But at least I had this kind of skill and could make food that I could easily carry and feed the kid on our way. Though I was an experienced zookeeper, I wasn¡¯t in touch with what was happening in this world, so I took a look at the map with resignation. ¡°The city¡¯s bigger than I thought.¡± ¡¸Of course. It¡¯s the only way through to the Levant Kingdom, so there are bound to be many trading posts around it.¡¹ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ah, ah¡­¡­.¡± I remember now. The Levant Empire! The male protagonist in the novel was the successor to the throne of this exact kingdom. The things I had forgotten were slowly coming back to me one by one after I realized what novel I was in. ¡®That¡¯s why Haniel met the Levant prince.¡¯ I had learned why she¡¯d turned into a swan and thought it made sense, but I had wondered exactly how she¡¯d met the prince in the middle of nowhere within the course of the novel. Since Haniel was around three or four years old, that prince should be around ten. I thought of the cute love story of the two protagonists who persevered despite their struggles. ¡°¡­¡­I better quickly return her back to where she should be.¡± Thinking about how angry the little prince would be in the future, I had to quickly get Haniel off my hands To be honest, I¡¯d even considered taking care of both Haniel and the prince, but right now Haniel was too young to be meeting the prince away from home. Even if I had met her when she was around sixteen years old, I¡¯d have had to hide her for a bit before matchmaking the two together, all Maleficent-style, but I¡¯d have to wait many years before they could even meet. ¡°Fat chance that¡¯s going to even happen.¡± I wasn¡¯t confident to be able to successfully live in hiding from the tyrant after playing matchmaker. ¡°Do you know where the dessert shops are?¡± ¡¸Please wait a moment. At least the places I remember are¡­¡­.¡¹ Having finished eating the dried fish, Selene pointed to certain spots on the map with her beak. She pointed to over ten different places, a sure sign of how large the city was. ¡¸This place and this place are very popular, and ah, there¡¯s also one on Risent Street. Hm, do you really think you¡¯ll be okay? It¡¯ll take time to even get there¡­¡­Ah ah, are you going to try going to the one that¡¯s closest to you?¡¹ ¡°Mm¡­¡­.Nope.¡± Of course not. As I vacantly stared at the map before hovering over a spot, slightly smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll be going there.¡± ¡¸Huh? But that¡¯s the farthest one. Though it is a very famous place, there are many others that are closer¡­¡­¡¹ ¡°The child definitely said that she followed a bunch of black birds. There are only a small handful of bird species in the area that migrate, so I looked at the direction in which she came from. The only path that has a place to rest for them is this area so that¡¯s probably where she was dropped off at. Plus, there needed to be an area for the baby swan to hide in, and that place has a marsh, so it makes sense.¡± ¡¸Woah, you¡¯re amazing, Your Ladyship!¡¹ ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± Selene looked at me with respect in her eyes as I rolled up the map. I couldn¡¯t say it was due to experience with survival, because it wasn¡¯t, but this feeling of admiration and expectation on my shoulders wasn¡¯t so bad. ¡°I¡¯ll quickly go and return. We¡¯ll have to leave before it gets too late.¡± ¡¸What are you going to do if Rania looks for you?¡¹ ¡°Are you kidding? Rania doesn¡¯t think of me as a human being and Rebecca, she might treat me better when she¡¯s, what, 30? 40? They won¡¯t look for me.¡± I placed a black hat on my head and tightened the string around it to secure it in place at the end to cover my face in case of an emergency. Afraid this wasn¡¯t enough, I even wrapped a robe around my body. Though it wouldn¡¯t be able to block the moonlight, it might help slow down my transformation process a little. ¡°Selene, take care of the kid while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡¸Hm¡­¡­Honestly, I¡¯m a little surprised. I thought Your Ladyship would take in the baby swan.¡¹ ¡°Oh my. Why would I?¡± Are you talking about me, who only has one life left to live? I snorted after hearing the ridiculous words. Afraid that Haniel would have expectations after hearing Selene¡¯s words, I raised my voice a little. ¡°She already has a family, so she should return to them, does it make sense for her to be raised by a black swan she met by mere chance? Who am I to the kid?¡± ¡¸Your, Your Ladyship. There¡¯s no need to speak like that, it sounds as if you¡¯re reading from a script¡­¡­. ¡¹ ¡°Don¡¯t say such nonsense! That kid and I are strangers! People who have nothing to do with each other! Don¡¯t worry about what¡¯s going to happen to the kid!¡± ¡¸¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡°What? What is it?¡± What are you going to do by looking at me with those eyes? ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± There was an awkward pause for a few moments. But just because Selene was looking at me awkwardly didn¡¯t mean I was going to change. The more she did that the more I had to draw a firm line on what the facts were. I lifted my chin and looked at her as I spoke. ¡°Selene, you know me, I have my hands full living as a half human and half animal creature. I won¡¯t even blink if something happens to just a baby swa¨C Oh no no no Sweetieeee?!¡± Look at this child! Does she not have any fear?! In contrast to the arrogant words I¡¯d just said my two legs had already headed towards the lake. *Splash splash.* I caught and lifted the Haniel who had gotten a little too deep into the lake while playing around in the water. ¡°Whew. Do you know how scared I was?! You have to be careful. It gets a lot deeper here¡­¡­¡± ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­Um, Your Ladyship¡­?¡¹ ¡°Wha, what?¡± I let out a breath at the baby swan struggling in my hands before slowly turning to look behind me. Isn¡¯t this too different from what you just said. Facing Selene¡¯s gaze that said it all, I quickly set Haniel down and pushed her far away from me as I dusted off my hands. ¡°No, this. This is just a display of universal human empathy.¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Are you alright, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­.You know, I¡¯m getting sick of you saying that.¡± At Third Prince Peyton¡¯s question of concern, Rashid dismounted from his black horse with a sour expression. Though they had traveled for two consecutive days on horseback, it¡¯s not that they couldn¡¯t say anything else, but the one making it difficult to start a conversation was the one who¡¯d hardened his bones on the battlefield. His breath still steady, Rashid took off the black hood covering his face. ¡°Has it been three years?¡± Rashid scanned his surroundings while standing on the outskirts of the city. He wore a blank, indifferent face, as if there wasn¡¯t anything especially new, while the Tenon¡¯s words expressed a different thought. ¡°When the late Empress was still carrying Haniel, I remember you brought her to stay in the Northern Palace. That was the last time Your Majesty came to visit, so it has been well over three years.¡± ¡°Stop calling me ¡®Your Majesty.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh, I apologize, Your Maj-no, I mean¡­.Hyung-nim.¡± Tenon spoke as if he wasn¡¯t used to this form of address. The fact that the emperor was visiting the North was a secret, so he had to make sure his words and conduct wouldn¡¯t give away Rashid¡¯s status. ¡°How about visiting Lady Rania once, since you are already here?¡± (Peyton) ¡°¡­.And Rania is¡­?¡± ¡°She is the daughter of the late Duke Evendell. Your Majesty met her a few times in the past¡­¡± But seeing was probably different from remembering. Knowing his brother¡¯s personality well, Peyton backed off on the topic and tried to smile. Though he was a thorough ruler, Rashid was surprisingly indifferent to many matters that were outside his interest. Particularly if it was related to a woman. ¡®But he should change at least some day, right?¡¯ Now that he should be thinking about a successor, matters concerning the family line should be more important. Not to mention that the wedding of the emperor is the country¡¯s biggest event. That¡¯s why when the war with Nerwa ended, the alliance was settled with an informal marriage to the Second Prince, Kirel, instead of the older Rashid who was of more marriageable age. Of course, compared to Rashid, who had no interest in women whatsoever, Kirel would make a better partner, but the long-delayed talk of marriage was not far off. ¡°Alright then, so tell me, why do I have to meet that woman now?¡± ¡°The late Duke passed away from his wounds while fighting for the country. His siblings are all still engaged in combat and were thus unable to attend their brother¡¯s funeral, so it would be good to speak a few words of praise to the princess. She might also become Duke Evendell¡¯s successor to the Northern Kingdom as well.¡± ¡°¡­..A woman as a successor?¡± ¡°The Duke had no sons. Normally, the authority falls into the stepmother¡¯s hands by law, but in the present situation, it seems the daughter is controlling the Northern Kingdom as the Duke¡¯s proxy.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a stepmother¡­..Hah, when did he even remarry.¡± What marriage with that dying body. Rashid gave a scornful laugh and then scowled. Seeing his obvious scorn, Tenon remembered something. ¡°Your Highness, no, Big Brother, didn¡¯t you stamp the seal of approval on their marriage a year ago?¡± ¡°I stamp on so many seals, how am I supposed to remember stamping a document for a half-dead person getting remarried?¡± Rashid ended up suddenly exploding in anger. Dealing with vassal countries in war was already a pain, of course he wouldn¡¯t remember things like a noble¡¯s wedding. It seemed Tenon didn¡¯t understand what was being said, so he turned to Peyton, scratching his head. ¡°Whatever the way things are, why is the princess handling political affairs when the stepmother should be in charge? What is that stepmother even doing?¡± (Rashid) ¡°From what I heard, our sources in Rianess say she doesn¡¯t have a great reputation. There are even rumors that she¡¯s a witch.¡± (Peyton) T/N ¡®Rianess¡¯ is mentioned thrice in this chapter, and we¡¯re assuming it¡¯s a significant city in the Northern Lands, say, one that¡¯s close to the duke¡¯s residence. ¡°A witch? In these times? What in the world did she do to get that kind of a reputation?¡± (Tenon) ¡°From what I heard¡­¡­ehem, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± (Peyton) After revealing the rumours from Rianess, Peyton¡¯s face reddened and he coughed. The blatantly extreme rumors were improper to be displayed in front of the emperor. ¡°Whatever the case may be, it just goes to say that there¡¯s something going on for that sort of talk to exist. But it¡¯s a relief that the princess is doing well.¡± (Peyton) ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Big Brother, when the mourning period is over, Rianess city will reopen to the rest of the empire. Have you decided on their new representative for that time?¡± (Tenon) ¡°That is correct. Though they have always been loyal to the imperial family, we¡¯re not sure what will happen within the duke¡¯s household. Before the end of the mourning period, it¡¯s unclear whether the one succeeding the title will be the Lady Rania or her stepmother, so it is advised for you to be informed of them before then.¡± (Peyton) ¡°Either way, I just have to go and sweep them away if they cause trouble.¡± (Rashid) Despite his younger brothers¡¯ exhortations, Rashid only looked annoyed at their words. But his attitude was partly due to how his personality and habits had developed while he had overseen the war campaign from when he was young. ¡°Those who betray the country are bound to do it sooner or later. If they¡¯re the type of people who try to look good in front of me and suppress their true nature, it will only be a waste of my time to meet them.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­That¡¯s true, but, we might find it a little helpful if we let the fief lord know of the princess¡¯s matter. If we do, we¡¯ll be able to blockade the entire Northern Lands and-¡± ¡°So you¡¯re telling me to let out the news of the missing princess to the entire empire, so that it reaches every single nook and cranny?¡± ¡°It, it¡¯s not that¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯re determined to make our family a laughingstock.¡± A wry smile hung on Rashid¡¯s face. It didn¡¯t matter as much if it were the Eastern or the Western Lands, but this was the Northern Lands of the Empire, the region with the highest population and with booming trade cities. As merchants are extremely sensitive to changes in the city¡¯s trade policies and situation, the rate at which rumors spread was enough to surprise anyone. ¡°Don¡¯t poke your nose in other household¡¯s business. Since it¡¯s your sister who¡¯s missing right now, not anyone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Finding Haniel remains top-secret until we find her. Have you received any other updates from Kirel?¡± ¡°For now, per your order, our replacements and the nobles have been told that you¡¯ve gone off to slay the monster in the South, so for the moment, no one will be suspicious.¡± ¡°Tell them to just cut them down if they get suspicious.¡± Didn¡¯t I put them there as replacements to do that. Swip. He brought away his hands from his back, his eyes becoming sluggish. What¡¯s such a big deal about the nobles getting suspicious. ¡°That pathetic lot.¡± He couldn¡¯t really stop them from having interests in the emperor, since in the end, the nobles were the ones who made the imperial family¡¯s ends meet. There was no one who¡¯d survived up until now in the palace straightforwardly disagreeing with the noble families. ¡°Indeed, since he had to keep watch, Kirel didn¡¯t come, though I noticed he looked like he wanted to come with us.¡± ¡°Well aren¡¯t you three just so enthusiastic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Based on how you three are acting, others would think that we¡¯re going on a picnic or something.¡± Rashid began moving towards the city with an expression of disgust on his face. The sight of his two brothers, saying that they couldn¡¯t leave their emperor for even a second and scrambling after him was already burdensome. Other than themselves, the commander of the knights and the captain of the palace guard would have thought it was low to escort him, but he did. ¡°The magicians are still tracking?¡± ¡°Yes, we will be notified soon.¡± Peyton took out the pulse stone from his robes. It was what Haniel¡¯s uncle, a grand magician, had sent to her for her first birthday. If the child was to ever encounter danger or have been hit by any mental or bodily problems, the stone was supposed to first turn a different color, but it only retained its milky color. ¡°He¡¯s also her brother, could he have really harmed her. Perhaps he really was just taking her out for some sightseeing.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no law that says he must do sightseeing in this life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°And even if all he wanted was to go sightseeing.¡± Without thinking, Rashid grabbed the sword at his side, gripping on it. Having so many siblings, Rashid had let Loam live a free, relaxed life, as per his late mother¡¯s wishes. After all, it wasn¡¯t bad to have a magician in the family. ¡°Do you not know how many countries are itching to find the Rohan Empire¡¯s weakness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± This was a matter of one of his own, and pulling in the late duke¡¯s daughter would only complicate matters. *Crick.* He made a harsh grinding sound with his teeth. ¡°That stupid, immature, idiotic brat. If it¡¯s just him, he¡¯d know how to slip himself out if he runs into trouble, but he should know that Haniel¡¯s a different story. It might be too late if she falls into someone¡¯s hands!¡± ¡°Big Brother.¡± Realizing the seriousness of Rashid¡¯s mood, Tenon felt his sword. The quiet Peyton then pulled something out of his robes. *Vzzt. Vzzt.* A blue stick-like object vibrated against his hand. It was the magic device he had been keeping. Though Peyton couldn¡¯t use magic like Loam, he could at least communicate with magicians using this item. ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ve gotten a message. As we thought, all traces of his magic lead to this region.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s not that they lost him?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been able to track to exactly where he is. There¡¯s little chance of being mistaken because they tracked him with his traces of mana.¡± *Vzzt.* At the vibration of the object, Peyton¡¯s well-proportioned visage crumpled with worry. Mana left traces like fingerprints. If the mana disappeared, then they could only search the Northern Lands for clues. ¡°Well whether he¡¯s dead or alive, he should be where the magicians said he is, Big Brother.¡± (Peyton) ¡°It¡¯d be better for him if he¡¯s already dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Because if he isn¡¯t, I¡¯ll be killing him again.¡± Shing. It was as if Rashid¡¯s sword moved before he even pulled it out. Rashid¡¯s gaze turned to Peyton, his murderous spirit rising up with bloodthirst and blowing away with the winds of the North. ¡°So, where¡¯s the place that¡¯s going to be that idiot¡¯s funeral?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Uwa¡­so it¡¯s here! It¡¯s pretty, so romantic! Having at last discovered the pastry shop, I switched between gazing at the shop and glancing at the map in my hands. Delight The dappled pastel-toned signboard was as pretty and elegant as its name. But whether it¡¯s a person or a shop, what you see is not everything. I did it even though I was so tired. I thought I was going to die. I hit my tired shoulders with my rolled-up map. The city was a much bigger and more prosperous place than I¡¯d imagined, you wouldn¡¯t know how much I struggled to find this place. If I hadn¡¯t stopped periodically to ask random stray dogs for directions, I¡¯m not sure if I would have been able to arrive here within a day. ¡°Hyoo.¡± I should just live as a black swan. I haven¡¯t lived as a black swan for long, but I¡¯m already feeling how cumbersome my human body is. These too slender legs, this hair that disperses in the wind like silk thread, this smooth porcelain skin that has no match¡­. ¡®Wow¡­.just now I sounded pretty arrogant I let out an awkward laugh as I found myself unconsciously touching my face within my robe. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been amongst people, and now I¡¯m having all sorts of weird thoughts. ¡®But it¡¯s not like I said anything wrong, right? When I¡¯m a swan, I don¡¯t have to be so careful about what I do or say around people. Why spend money to swish around in a yacht? I can just peacefully float on the lake, and when I close my eyes I can imagine Ave Maria playing in the background. Is there a separate sense derived from Instagram? I think I would like it if the world drifted on like this until the end. It¡¯s not just that. If I want to sleep, I sleep. If I want to roll around, I roll around. If I accidentally hit someone, I completely peck them out. Traditionally, once I got a taste of being in an animal body, it was hard to completely get out of it. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this smell? My moment of intoxication at the sweet smell drifting in front of my sensitive nose was interrupted, and I opened my eyes wide. A sweet smell filled my nostrils, making me salivate. I swallowed. Hurrah for humanity. Timmediately swallowed back the words I¡¯d just said. No matter how wonderful life as a black swan is, I can only taste these sweet and exquisite desserts and food because of my human body. I felt this particularly, as I desperately inhaled the scent of freshly baked bread that greeted me when I opened my eyes to this world. ¡°Y-yeah¡± But I need to go inside anyway if I wanted to find out what was going on with Loam and find out about the whereabouts of the child-abandoning offender. My feet moved step by step on their own accord, drawn by the flowing trail of scent. ¡°Excuse me!¡± ¡± Yes? Me? I was jolted awake from my entranced walk by someone tugging on my robe. When I looked up after feeling someone tugging on my robe, I saw the endless line that stretched before me. A woman glared at me accusingly and sharply nodded me to the back of the line, her arms crossed. ¡°Can you not see there are people standing in line?¡± ¡°Oh¡­.I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to ask something inside.¡± ¡°You think anyone will fall for that pathetic excuse? You know, some people started waiting from dawn. Do you not know where this is?¡± Is this some pork cutlet restaurant at Jeju Island? I innocently batted my eyelashes, but the woman just snorted at me. ¡°Clack clack The sound of my falling self-confidence dropped, all the way to the tips of my shoes ¡°This is the most famous shop of recent times, the winner of Rohan¡¯s Grand Prix Dessert Fair!¡± ¡°Is-is that so? I didn¡¯t know it was that big of a deal¡­¡± ¡°Stop feigning innocence. If it¡¯s that urgent, why don¡¯t you start lining up from nighttime too?¡± ¡°No, well that¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to wait, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t! If I stood in line as a black swan I¡¯d just be caught and eaten! You think would let that happen to a beautiful black swan like myself! ¡°What? Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No. I don¡¯t Under the woman¡¯s glare, I turned to the back of the line, finding myself unable to cut the line by her sharp words. Even though my blood was boiling with internal tantrums and shrieks of despair, it was true that standing in line was basic policy My steps began quickening as I started heading to the back of the line. I wondered for a second if using my status and rank would help at all, but after some thought I hung my head. ¡°Right. I have a terrible reputation here The duke¡¯s second daughter Rebecca would sometimes tell me of my reputation in the Northern Lands as a witch, rubbing salt on the wound. On top of that, I was seen as a cruel, ambitious woman who¡¯d taken advantage of the dying duke by marrying him and enjoyed luxury and debauchery. Hm? ¡°¡­¡­ Hyung-nim, it looks like it¡¯s here¡± ¡°Why this kind of a place.¡± A low-pitched voice echoed in my ears. There were a group of men in black robes nearby looking at the pastry shop. Though the hoods on their black robes were covering their faces, anyone could tell that they were tall men with robust physiques, catching the eyes of many. ¡°Uhm¡­.¡± Well, it definitely looks like this place is a famous shop. I looked at them in curiosity and bit my lips in anticipation. How popular was it that even these men came from so far away? And they kind of looked just like me from a couple moments ago as they stood right at the entrance. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, we are. We¡¯ve been confirmed by the scouts we sent. Though they did say they would look further, we are almost certain this is-¡° ¡°Excuse me!¡± I called out to them in a friendly manner and waved my hand towards them. Though I couldn¡¯t see their faces because of the black robe covering them, I could tell that their strong gazes were now on me. The one standing at the very front eventually spoke to me, as if perplexed. ¡° Did you just, to me. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s here! This is the place you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± What¡¯s with that response. I was just trying to help out because I didn¡¯t want them to go through what I did a few minutes ago, but why did they seem to have begrudging attitudes Why are you standing so far away from everyone else when we¡¯re all here for the famous shop? I put my hands together and spoke quietly as if spilling a big secret. ¡°You¡¯re looking for the shop that won the Grand Prix Dessert Fair Award, correct? ¡°¡­Ah, uhm, we¡¯re not exactly sure, but ye.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re at the right place. So then please wait in line.¡± He looked like he had a good head on his shoulders, but did he not hear me the first time. gestured behind me. ¡°You should wait in line here. If you just try to go in you¡¯ll probably get cursed at when you get to the front, you know?¡± ¡°Hwoo.¡± I heard someone from behind the man let out a harsh breath I felt goosebumps creep up my spine and chills up my arms as I heard the sound, but I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to think back on what that was about ¡°¡­.. Hyung-nim, please.¡± ¡°Move your hand. *Step, step.¡± He shook off the hands of the two men standing next to him, and it was like the ground trembled on his last step as he approached me. Ugh, men! What was bothering them so much after getting here? As if to tell him it wasn¡¯t such a big deal to wait in line, I gave him an encouraging nod. ¡°You made the right decision. You don¡¯t want to get cursed after coming here to eat delicious food¡± ¡°¡­. You dare.¡± ¡°What you dare in front of a pastry shop. When it comes to food, no one in the world stands higher than anyone else.¡± I put my hands together in prayer, and then indicated to the children standing nearby us. ¡°You see those children, right? Even the kids line up at the shop.¡± Oh, what wonderful children. I felt a sense of pride at the siblings who were waiting in line. I stopped looking at the children with a pleasant expression and looked up at the man behind me. Intense red eyes shined under the dark robe. ¡°If you say something about waiting in line one more time.¡± ¡°Of course I have to say it again. Properly stay in line! Don¡¯t fall out of line and just make sure to keep looking straight to the front like the kids from before. Why are you like this? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s your first time at a hot pastry shop. I shrugged my shoulders at the guy¡¯s self-esteem and turned back around to the front. I could sense a stinging glare heading in my direction and felt like I heard a metal ringing sound from behind me, but I thought it was just my imagination. ¡­¡­. But anyway, is this shop¡¯s line shortening or not? I stuck my head out and only saw a still-very-long line in front of me. It took a long time to just be able to take a few steps forward, and as the minutes passed, I grew nervous about the time I had left The children waiting in front of me seemed just as anxious as I was to get to the front, hopping around on their feet. ¡°Noona, will we really be able to buy what we wanted to get? I really wanted to eat that chocolate cake.¡± ¡°Wait just a little longer, James. We¡¯ll be able to eat it for sure today. I even checked the price. ¡°¡­.But my leg hurts.¡± ¡°Do you want Noona to piggyback you? But if we get to eat the cake you¡¯ll be sure to be full of energy afterwards. We even saved up money so we could celebrate your birthday with this.¡± Erk, children, and now why are you pulling at someone else¡¯s heartstrings. My heart stung as I saw the young girl who seemed to be the older sister pull out some crumpled cash from her pocket I¡¯m weak to this kind of stuff, you know I noticed that the two of them were shivering in their clothes. ¡°It¡¯s so cold. Can¡¯t we go in soon?¡± ¡°There are other people who are waiting too. That person there and even this other older sister, and behind her¡­uh, yeah¡± The young girl froze as she looked at the people behind me. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°It¡¯s so cold. Can¡¯t we go in soon?¡± ¡°There are other people who are waiting too. That person there and even this other older sister, and behind her¡­uh, yeah.¡± The young girl froze as she looked at the people behind me. I could tell where the children¡¯s terrified stares were directed at. ¡°N-Noona, I¡¯m scared. The men in the back, you can¡¯t even see their faces¡­¡± ¡°l-it¡¯ll be alright, James.¡± ¡°O okay, but still, people who wear clothes like that are all¡­¡± ¡°No. Those men aren¡¯t that scary.¡± I bent my knees slightly and tried to comfort them. There wasn¡¯t much! could do to soothe them as an adult, but I at least wanted to reassure them like this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Those men aren¡¯t bad men, I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡± ¡­R-really? But Noona, how do you know that?¡± ¡°People who like cake can¡¯t be bad people.¡± Shiing. The sharp sound of grating metal rang out again behind me, but I was too busy consoling the children to take notice. The children¡¯s hesitant faces relaxed into smiles. Seeing them, I was suddenly reminded of someone Id left behind. It should be alright if I take this off I swallowed my hesitation as I touched the black robe I was wearing. I initially bundled myself up because I thought I should cover myself as much as possible, but now I felt stinging guilt as I saw the shivering children in front of me. Excuse me, do you not see this? glanced at the men behind me, who were even more warmly dressed than I was, but of course, they didn¡¯t budge. I thought they were pretty cold-hearted for a moment. But I wasn¡¯t in the situation to curse them because I myself was unsure of what to do. I mean, for three brothers to have come to a place like this, they must¡¯ve needed some courage. I smiled compassionately and tapped the children¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You children will probably be able to get inside soon. See, the line¡¯s shrunk this much already, I¡¯m sure it will be your turn soon¡­¡± ¡°Noona, what¡¯s that over there?¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean¡­¡± *Ring* At the sound of the bell, the kids turned around. At last, the dessert shop¡¯s doors opened. But instead of what we expected, a man quickly came out and hung something in front of the shop. ¡°Alright then, please go back home. We are closing the shop for today!¡± ¡°¡­Non-noona¡± What is this? Sold Out. Of all the words of this world that I knew how to read, why was this here. My lips began to tremble as violently as those of the shivering kids. ¡°This can¡¯t be There are still so many pastries piled up behind the glass window! Of course, that wasn¡¯t what I was here for, but I was still in a predicament. In the end, someone stepped away from the line and looked at the man. ¡°Excuse me. Why are you closing now?¡± (random person) ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s closed because it¡¯s closed. You can just return tomorrow.¡± The shopkeeper in a white pastry chef coat looked at his shoes, visibly annoyed. He seemed unconcerned about the discontent reaction of the customers as they stirred and clearly just wanted to shoo them away. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, just come back tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Then what are those pastries piled up there? What will you do with all those when you close the shop?¡± (Catherine) ¡°Those¡­¡± The chef followed my accusing finger to the glass display case still fully stocked with cakes and smirked. Unfazed and clearly unapologetic, he pressed his lips together into an arrogant pout. ¡°There are people who will be taking all of those. Please stop being uselessly stubborn about this.¡± ¡°What do you mean by people who will be taking all of those? I thought you don¡¯t take orders or reservations?¡± ¡°Look here, lady. Seriously.¡± She really doesn¡¯t get it. Those words were clearly written on his face as he looked at me up and down. The clothes I was wearing were from the Duchess¡¯ closet, so they were of the finest quality. But even so, the man was quick to look down on me. ¡°I can¡¯t see which family you belong to because I can¡¯t see your face, but you will regret this.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean that I will regret this?¡± ¡°I mean if you knew the person who bought the pastries, you would immediately regret your actions.¡± I could hardly contain myself after hearing those words. The pastry chef strutted towards me. My hands that gripped the children¡¯s shoulders immediately tensed. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know exactly who bought them all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lady Evendell. Surely you¡¯ve heard of her if you live in the Northern Lands, right?¡± People quieted down in an instant. In front of their dazed eyes, the chef shrugged his shoulders as if he knew what was going to happen. ¡°Those are all what Lady Rebecca specifically ordered for her afternoon snack¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Lady Rebecca¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re indeed talking about that Lady Evendell. You were about to greatly insult such a precious person. Since you know it now, please leave. Quickly now!¡± He looked at me as if asking why I was still standing there and opened the shop door to go back in while cheerfully humming. Shiing The sharp sound of clanging metal echoed out once more behind the children. ¡°¡­Hyu, Hyungnim! Please¡­¡± ¡°Hey. We¡¯re not done talking yet?¡± (Catherine) *Click Clack My brisk steps covered the sound of unsheathed metal behind my back. Approaching the shopkeeper who was now holding onto the door, 1 reached my hand out and tightly closed the door shut. ¡°I thought this was a first-rate shop, but the service isn¡¯t any better than the street vendors.¡± (Catherine) ¡°.Wh, what do you want now?¡± As I looked at the pastry chef, whose expression showed that he didn¡¯t understand me at all, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to smile as I spoke. ¡°Say what you said before¡± ¡°..Geez, I already explained to you, we¡¯re all sold ou-¡° ¡°No. Not that. Tell me the reason why you¡¯re doing business like this.¡± I¡¯m telling you to say it again. I stared straight at the shopkeeper with my eyes wide open. Our surroundings had long gone completely silent. ¡°La, Lady Rebecca has told me to bring all of these pastries for her afternoon snack. Please let go. Though I may not know you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you did it because you didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hwoo, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯d one day end up saying this, but¡­¡± Swish. With a short sigh, I reached up to the string within my robe and began to undo it. The last of the afternoon light fell onto my frowning, ice-cold eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Rebecca¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Do you need me to explain more?¡± I wasn¡¯t trying to flaunt my power or status. It¡¯s just that this was the only way to prevent everyone¡¯s hard work from going down the drain. Speechless, the shopkeeper slowly raised his chin and stared at me. ¡°Is it your first time seeing someone¡¯s face?¡± ¡°l-it¡¯s not that ehem.¡± My image was reflected in the man¡¯s wavering eyes. They looked like the eyes of a guy seeing the world¡¯s most beautiful woman in dramas or movies. ¡­Yeah, I understand that feeling It wasn¡¯t pride, but I was really just a shocking beauty, if I say so myself. Even though I wasn¡¯t the traditionally skinny, wispy beauty, you couldn¡¯t find powerful, feline eyes like mine anywhere else. Of course you couldn¡¯t. Authors would always spend so much time describing a protagonist of a novel and wouldn¡¯t bother fully describing the antagonist¡¯s looks. But wouldn¡¯t it be unfair if on top of being the villainess, they were subpar in looks as well? So perhaps to compensate for this and have the villainess be better at something than the heroine, they were usually described as being one with more splendid features. So no matter how much the princess tried, she¡¯d never be able to surpass Maleficent¡¯s charisma Black hair and white skin, red lips and purple eyes. The colors of my face lay in beautiful contrast to one another. This was the ravishing beauty of the strong older sister type. At one glance, anyone would see the ¡®l have money, I have charisma, and I have a pretty good personality as well kind of feeling I was automatically giving off. It didn¡¯t matter where or what direction I was standing in, I¡¯d always have the appearance of a winner. ¡°What are you doing? After making me show you my face.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± In other words, an unscrupulous, small dessert shopkeeper wouldn¡¯t be able to say squat. ¡°l-if your Lady-no, You Excellency is r-really Duchess Evendell¡­forgive me as I say this, but would you please provide some evidence¡­¡± ¡°Evidence? The chef¡¯s eyes swept over my dress, but even if he looked it was just a black dress. I didn¡¯t think I would need to reveal my identity, so I didn¡¯t bring anything with me. Seeing his dazed eyes, I let out an amused laugh. ¡°And why do I need that?¡± ¡°That is¡­It, it¡¯s rumored that the Duchess Evendell is un, unwell, and you seem to be different in many ways.¡± ¡°Different in many ways as in, I¡¯m supposed to be a vicious, cold blooded witch?¡± ¡°The other factors are a little what? You mean that I¡¯m supposed to be a tyrannical witch with no blood or tears?¡± I knew what he was saying even if he didn¡¯t say it, and I burst into laughter. I¡¯d prepared myself, but there were a lot more ridiculous rumors about me than I¡¯d thought. ¡°S-so please, if you have anything to show¡­¡± ¡°Why do I need something like that? I am the biggest evidence.¡± Pat. Ismoothed out my dress and looked at him straight in the eyes. As I didn¡¯t have anything to hold in my hands, I straightened my shoulders. ¡°You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? There¡¯s no one in the Northern Kingdom who doesn¡¯t know me.¡± ¡°¡­That.¡± ¡°You think I would dare to impersonate such a powerful person? Do you think I look crazy enough to do that?¡± ¡°No, No, not at all! I just¡­¡± ¡°Fine then. But if you really need to know you¡¯re free to call anyone from my house. Only¡­ I paused mid-sentence and looked imposingly down on the shopkeeper, who now seemed very small. His wandering eyes told me he didn¡¯t understand where I was going with this. ¡°If you call them and I¡¯m right, it¡¯ll be the end for you right then and there.¡± You know my reputation, right? Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The slight curve of a friendly smile made me look even more dangerous. It was all or nothing. Now that I¡¯ve even showed my face, I had nothing left to fear. ¡°¡­What are you looking at? Hurry and pack them up.¡± ¡°Ye-yes? Yes!¡± I cheerfully pointed at the cakes again. The shaken man seemed to hold his breath as he hastily began packing the pastries. More than believing what I¡¯d said, he followed what I said out of instinctual fear for his life. ¡°Your Ladyship, the packaged pastries will soon be ready!¡± ¡°Excellent choice.¡± Chuckling, I took a step back in encouragement. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t have anything to do with the cakes anymore, but I made sure all the cakes were sold until all the people in the line left. ¡°Here they are, Your Ladyship.¡± Trembling, the shop owner presented me with the wrapped cakes. I took them and stooped to look at the frozen children in front of me. ¡°Now then, here you go! This is the chocolate cake you were talking about, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and take it.¡± ¡°N-Noona, is this person really a witch-Heup!¡± The trembling boy clamped his mouth shut. As I looked at them in confusion, the sister shielded her younger brother and bowed, even going as far as kneeling on the ground. ¡°Your Excellency, please forgive us! Please don¡¯t eat us! My younger brother was insolent out of ignorance¡­¡± ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± It seems that my image wasn¡¯t just terrible, it was on the level of human trash. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, I pressed my lips together, but this only served to worsen the situation. The children¡¯s small tense shoulders, which seemed like they would go into a full panic at the slightest touch, were practically touching the floor. ¡°W-we really didn¡¯t know anything. We won¡¯t do it again¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you shouldn¡¯t do this again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why would you go around in this cold weather so thinly dressed? You even brought your little brother.¡± As the girl felt something was placed on her shoulders, she raised her head, wondering what had happened. Why did she give me this cloak? Though they still looked at me with their eyes wide in confusion, at least they stopped trembling. ¡°Y-your Excellency!¡± ¡°Your youth is just one part of your life. If you don¡¯t take care of yourself starting from now, what are you going to do when you reach my age?¡± Though it may have been insufficient to soothe the children, everything I said was taken from experience. Suffering as I grew up as an orphan, by the time I was in my 20s, my bones were so stiff I suffered even more during the winters. ¡°¡­But if you give me this, then what about Your Excellency¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Anyway, once a little more time has passed, I¡¯ll¡­uhm.¡± I¡¯ll be covered head to toe in magnificent goose down that can¡¯t compare to this cloak. T/N Raws use the goose down term in romanized English. Since she¡¯s comparing her feathers to an article of clothing, she uses a phrase that has to do with clothing. But since she¡¯s a swan, you can just insert ¡®swan¡¯ in place of ¡®goose¡¯ as you read¡­haha¡­ I let out a warm but bitter laugh as I fastened the cloak to the bowed girl. Though I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t start to like me just because I gave them a cloak, at least now they wouldn¡¯t flinch at the so-called Northern Kingdom¡¯s witch¡¯s touch. That was enough for me. Stooping down, I handed the still-terrified boy the cake. ¡°Now, eat the cake well and be sure to get back home before it¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°¡­T-thank you.¡± The children quickly rushed away, not waiting to hear if I had anything else to say. Now, for the remaining people¡­ ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re still here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The three cloaked men stood stonily in the same place they were before. At first, I thought all three siblings looked similar, but now I could see that the one standing in the middle had a sort of reverence about him that distinguished him from the others. ¡°¡­Hey you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d just give the children their share when all of you were also waiting in line?¡± I have some sense of respect, at least. *Grab.* As I lifted the cake, the man¡¯s hands that had been at his waist instantly reached forward. What kind of hands are that fast. Though the man¡¯s reflexes made me pause for a bit, I couldn¡¯t waste any more time. Holding the box, I motioned towards the stiffly standing man and the rest of his trio of three brothers. ¡°Well then, the rest of you should now return.¡± ¡°¡­And you?¡± ¡°Me? I still have some things left to do¡­Oh dear!¡± When did the sky get so dark?! My spine started tingling as a cloud cast a shadow over my surroundings. A stiffening sensation started to move from my neck to my shoulders. It was the signal that I didn¡¯t have much time before turning into a swan. ¡°What do I do!¡± My back felt chilly in an instant. This was the first time I¡¯d gone outside, so I¡¯d passed time unaware of how quickly the sun would set. The dessert shopkeeper backed away as I looked at him. ¡°Excuse me, could you give me a moment!¡± ¡°I, I am so sorry, Your Ladyship! But I haven¡¯t done anything wrong! I was just following the orders I¡¯d received¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to say, could you come with me for a sec-¡± And now, my shoulders started to get colder. Whether it was because of the sudden cloud that was quickening my transformation, or because I felt someone¡¯s gaze on me, I knew I couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. ¡°Hahh.¡± What is this. I couldn¡¯t hide my dejected expression as I turned around. If I went into the shop to catch the shopkeeper and the sun went down I¡¯d be doomed when it came time for me to turn into a black swan. I just needed to at least get to a spot with no one nearby before I transformed¡­ ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Not you again! As the one in the black robes approached me, I felt like my chest was going to explode. Why can¡¯t you just bother someone else, I don¡¯t have anything else to give you anymore! I heard the sound of unsheathing metal as I defiantly bore my eyes into the black-robed figure. ¡°Are you really¡­¡± ¡°Could you step aside? I¡¯m a little busy at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not joking around here, you know?¡± The stiffening sensations had gone past my shoulders and all the way to my elbow. At the ominous sign that I¡¯d soon be covered in black feathers, I pushed the man¡¯s chest with all the strength in my hands. ¡°Hyu, Hyung-nim!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± So why didn¡¯t you move when I asked you to. As I pushed the man, his robe shifted a bit and a sharp jawline was slightly revealed, but I only had one thing to say at that moment. ¡°Eat something sweet and relax a little. You seem like you¡¯re going to kill someone.¡± ??? ¡°¡­Hyu, Hyung-nim.¡± ¡°Move.¡± In the now empty city square, Rashid pushed aside Tenon¡¯s arm. It wasn¡¯t his usual dangerous aura. Though Rashid hadn¡¯t taken a single step, Tenon gripped his sword as he felt a murderous bloodthirst seeping out from his brother. Living up to his reputation as the empire¡¯s sword, his sword ki was so strong it seemed like the sword itself would break. ¡°Please calm yourself. What if someone sees and discoveries our identities.¡± ¡°¡­I told you to shut your mouth.¡± Even the sound of his breath was quiet, which made the two brothers even more nervous. It was almost exactly the same as the time he¡¯d held up the bloody head of King Tenas on the battlefield. ¡°Big brother!¡± Peyton yelled out as he returned, pushing Tenon, who¡¯d helplessly stiffened up, behind him. The motionless Rashid, who looked as if he¡¯d never move again, turned his head. ¡°¡­And the woman?¡± ¡°I went after her immediately, but she got away. I definitely went after her back but she disappeared without a trace among a field of reeds.¡± Peyton bowed his head desperately as if to ask for forgiveness. The cold-blooded Rashid let out a harsh laugh. ¡°Are you joking with me?¡± ¡°Hyung-nim.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying she shook off your pursuit? A woman escaped from the commander of the knights?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two brothers didn¡¯t dare move an inch at Rashid¡¯s thundering voice. However, this was actually the first time they¡¯d lost track of someone in pursuit of them¡­no wait, this would be the second after Haniel¡¯s incident. ¡°It looks like the rumors about the Duchess are a li-little different than what we expected. For a witch, she seems to be too beauti- wait uh, what I meant was-¡± ¡°Watch your mouth, Tenon!¡± What impudent behavior in front of the emperor! Peyton tried to change the topic by scolding Tenon and rambling on to divert Rashid¡¯s attention. Though he agreed that the duchess was certainly different in person than the rumors, this wasn¡¯t the time for that. Their emperor and big brother was now in a mood far beyond foul¡­ ¡°¡­¡± *Gulp.* The two brothers¡¯ gazes stopped at the pink box in Rashid¡¯s hand. They¡¯d rather have an enemy king or commander¡¯s head cut off and held up in front of them. They felt like their nervous hearts were going to beat right out of their chests. ¡°Hooh.¡± The item was soon crumpled up in his hand. They¡¯d predicted that he¡¯d react like this but seeing the ruined cake, their hearts dropped to their stomachs. Rashid slowly pulled down the head covering with his other hand. ¡°Though I don¡¯t have any interest in getting involved in another household¡¯s matters with my status as the emperor¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hyu, Hyung-nim!¡± ¡°I need to see if a witch really is living on my lands.¡± His hair, golden as the sun, fluttered with the chilly winds of the North. The blood-red eyes rocked with more tranquility than ever. ¡°Tell them to turn on the lights of the Winter Palace, at once.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡¸You¡¯ve finally returned, Your Ladyship! Why did you come back so late!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Selene.¡¹ As I returned, exhausted, to the lake, Selene waved her beak around as she spoke. It looked like she¡¯d waited for a very long time, as I could see that the mallard duck had turned pale with worry. ¡¸Do you know how much I worried! I thought something happened to you while you were outside¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t even get me started.¡¹ It would¡¯ve been better if something had happened at least. I¡¯d only returned empty handed after dragging my body out. Not only did I not find out about Loam, I hadn¡¯t even gotten to take a single bite out of the cakes. ¡¸Ah ah¡­What is this, seriously.¡¹ Though it was a relief I hadn¡¯t gotten caught, I¡¯d used up all my energy to secretly turn into a swan and get myself back in that form. Basically, I experienced a game of extreme hide-and-seek and then returned. ¡¸Your Ladyship. What¡¯s going on? Were you unable to find the child¡¯s father?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not ready to talk about tha¡­Ah, where¡¯s the child?¡¹ I spread my wings and looked around for Haniel. The small baby swan that had been playing happily when I left was nowhere in sight. Selene, I told you to watch the kid! Why are you out here alone!, ¡­But there wasn¡¯t much I could do.. What do you mean?, ¡°She didn¡¯t even let me near her, you see. As soon as Your Ladyship left, the child¡¯s spirits dropped immediately and sank into silence, zipping her mouth shut. She just stayed quiet and then kept hiding from me, over there¡­. *Pout.* She pointed her beak in the direction of the field of reeds. I saw a small white, curled up, little wad of cotton like thing appear in my line of sight as Icarefully approached in that direction. THa, Haniel? ¡°Mommyyyyy. Hnn, hnngh.. As she lifted her head and saw me, Haniel burst into tears. *Pitter-patter,* she dashed into my embrace, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to shake her off. ¡¸Mwo, Mwommy¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ Her trembling appearance reminded me of the shaking shoulders of the two children at the pastry shop. I stood in place, unsure of what to do as my nose soured, when Haniel shook her head rapidly. ¡¸It, it¡¯s not Mommwy, wight? Bweck Swan-nim?¡¹ ¡¸Haniel.¡¹ ¡¸Pw, pwease don¡¯t gwo, Bweck Swan-nim. I won¡¯t caw you mommwy anymore.¡¹ She said this as she desperately burrowed into my wings. What should I do. No matter how much I grit my teeth, I couldn¡¯t move, whether it was because my body couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t move. At some point, Selene approached me carefully after seeing how Haniel had disappeared into my plumage, practically burying herself in my feathers. ¡¸She looked for you so much, Your Ladyship, she wouldn¡¯t eat anything.¡¹ ¡¸You still should¡¯ve given her something. She¡¯s still a child. How could you leave her alone like that?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean leave her alone. I asked Lady Melloe to watch after her.¡¹ ¡¸Lady Melloe?¡¹ I gave a derisory snort all the way to the end of my beak. I wasn¡¯t asking because I didn¡¯t know who that was. Instead it was that I knew her all too well that this was the problem of all problems. ¡¸There are so many others you could have asked, why did you give the child to Lady Melloe to watch?¡¹ ¡¸Bu, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re really asking for it, aren¡¯t you. ¡¹ Unable to believe what I was hearing, I shot daggers at Selene. I was at the peak of the lake¡¯s ecosystem and so I was familiar with the members and inhabitants. Lady Melloe. As you could tell from how we addressed her as ¡®Lady,¡¯ at one point she was from a noble family, but that very lofty mindset of hers sent her to the lake. The world was about class and dignity. As someone from one of the oldest families of the Northern Lands, she remained unmarried and spent all her time and energy into teaching an etiquette class for young noble girls. This temperament that seemed so fragile remained steady even in the face of power. At the newly instated proxy Rania¡¯s order for her to marry the late duke who¡¯d been half-dead at the time, she¡¯d honestly responded with ¡®a lady must keep her dignity¡¯ and gotten herself cursed. ¡®In one way, you could say she¡¯s incredible.¡¯ Even after Lady Melloe became a goose, she never lost that dignified attitude of hers. Despite becoming a bird, she only said that throwing away the noble mindset was subjecting oneself to becoming a true beast and then set up an etiquette school at the lake. Many of the either clueless newcomers to the lake or the children who¡¯d been born at the lake had entered the school, but among them, not a single one had been able to last long under her intense curriculum. ¡¸Did the child even do anything wrong? Don¡¯t you remember? After that baby duck, no, Viscount Arte¡¯s son was expelled from the school, how he ended up? Before, he didn¡¯t really have the best mannerisms, but now he¡¯s completely given up on life. Not that long ago I saw him sadly chewing on hemp seeds.¡¹ T/N the word ?? (dae-ma) here means either hemp or marijuana so I went with the safer choice¡­0x0 ¡¸I¡¯m very sorry. But I don¡¯t have experience with taking care of such quiet kids. So I took her to Lady Melloe, who said that these kind of children needed to be starved until they asked for food.¡¹ ¡¸What?!¡¹ That old grandma is asking for it! But I didn¡¯t leave immediately to confront the woman and only covered Haniel¡¯s ears with my wings so she wouldn¡¯t hear any other horrible words. How can I leave this kid alone by herself again. I was unable to take another step and ended up just sitting down instead. It wasn¡¯t just because Lady Melloe kept badgering me to keep a temperament befitting of a duchess every time I saw her. ¡¸Your Ladyship, you went all the way to the city today, please tell me what happened. Were you able to visit the pastry shop?¡¹ ¡¸Hyoo. About that¡­¡¹ I felt a headache coming on as I thought of how to explain that I¡¯d ended with nothing after I¡¯d spent all that time waiting in line. Though, of course, standing in line wasn¡¯t the only thing that had happened. I gave cake to those kids and those brothers who were exploring popular shops and restaurants¡­ ¡¸Uhm.¡¹ But why is my back so cold? I had safely returned to the lake, but the cold ringing of metal from earlier in the day still lingered in my ears. At the same time the chiseled jaw of the man I¡¯d pushed hazily resurfaced in my thoughts. ¡°¡­Are you really¡­¡± How rude to speak so casually. Being handsome isn¡¯t everything. Although I didn¡¯t see his face properly, it wasn¡¯t just my imagination. Just like how one can recognize an animal as an elephant by its trunk, there were similar features to recognizing beautiful people. From the shape of his briefly revealed hands to his firm chest muscles, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary guy. ¡®So what? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to see him again.¡¯ From the way he treated me even after knowing I was a Duchess, he either didn¡¯t believe me or was really asking for a beating. The only other reason why he¡¯d cling to me like that is¡­ ¡¸Oh my gosh, no way.¡¹ ¡¸Yes? Is something the matter, Your Ladyship?¡¹ ¡¸¡­It¡¯s nothing. Just that my beauty got me in trouble again.¡¹ Catherine, you troublemaking woman. I feigned innocence while slowly shaking my beak. Though my knowledge of romance was limited because I¡¯d only learned them by reading novels, the only reason a man would stop me like that was that he fell in love with me at first sight. Seeing as he even left his brothers¡¯ side to pursue a woman, I got the picture. Honestly, was I that nice to him? I told him about standing in line and gave him an expensive cake, so I guess I showed him a lot of different sides of me. ¡¸So Your Ladyship, will you be going out again?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, there are no other options so I think I¡¯ll have to do that¡­¡¹ How could I let this matter go. I quietly mumbled out a response, then suddenly raised my head. I wondered if it was a sort of wild instinct, since after I turned into an animal I was much more sensitive to people¡¯s presence. ¡¸¡­Selene.¡¹ As I saw an approaching torch from far away, I quietly called out to her. All sense of happiness and idle imaginations had disappeared from my face. Carefully lifting my wing, I nudged the sleeping Haniel towards Selene. ¡¸Take her and hide right now. Watch over her to make sure she never comes out.¡¹ ¡¸Your Ladyship, why so suddenly? And it¡¯ll be hard for me to take care of her myself-¡¹ ¡¸Then at least take her to Lady Melloe.¡¹ Hearing the resignation in my voice, Selene flinched, surprised and confused. But before she tried to stop me, she noticed the approaching torches as well. ¡¸Y-your Ladyship, that¡¯s!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ I calmly raised my head and took a step forward. ¡¸They¡¯re a bit late, for once. My daughters. ¡¹ ??? ¡°HONK!¡± Let go of me! I said, let go! No matter how much I kicked and struggled, the snare around my neck only tightened. As soon as I¡¯d decided to show my face, I¡¯d expected that news from my venture into the city would quickly travel to the sisters. I suspected they¡¯d interrogate me, but who knew that they¡¯d tie a rope around me like this instead. ¡°Come on! Why aren¡¯t you following!¡± Holding the rope firmly, Rebecca dragged me even more insistently. It¡¯s not like I resisted them at first, even willing to go with them voluntarily since I didn¡¯t have a way to escape, but it looks like she wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. Thud. As soon as the door to the villa closed behind me, she grabbed the rope and pulled even harder at it. ¡¸K-keuk!¡¹ ¡°Looks like your liver swelled up! Tell me what you did, immediately!¡± ¡¸¡­You can¡¯t understand me even if I talked!¡¹ *Fwip.* I¡¯d hit my head against the wall. When I fiercely turned to glower at Rebecca, she met my eyes with a glare of her own. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Alright, come on then! Even if I have to die in this way, I¡¯ll at least go down after twisting Rebecca that brat¡¯s wrist. ¡°Hey! You!¡± ¡°Bring it on, bring it on!) Tcontrolled my stumbling steps as I braced myself. Even if I begged, trembling and meek, I¡¯d only be inciting the sisters to treat me more harshly. What are you doing? You said you were going to hit me, so hit me! ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± One would probably get surprised at most if a chicken rushed towards them, but a swan¡¯s body was well over one meter taller than a chicken, especially when it stood up to its full height. I won¡¯t lose to you if we¡¯re talking about height! I raised my head and spread my wings wide. ¡¸Come at me! I¡¯ll make sure to land a blow on your neck. ¡¹ ¡°¡­Urgh!¡± Though she couldn¡¯t understand animal speech, Rebecca¡¯s eyes were now bloodshot. Even if she was stupid, I knew Rebecca could tell when a swan was getting sassy with her. ¡°Oh so you wanna go a round, I see! You just see what I¡¯m gonna do-¡± ¡°Stop at once, Rebecca.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Unni.¡± Rebecca, who was just about to lose her cool, turned to the cold, elegant voice that sounded behind her. Rania haughtily spoke up after indifferently watching the two of us like it wasn¡¯t related to her. ¡°I told you to keep a lady¡¯s dignity whether or not there are people watching you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Unni¡­¡± ¡°Why are you talking to an animal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is this what people mean when they say that rather than the mother-in-law who beats you, the sister-in-law who tries to stop her is more hateful. Rebecca had gotten mad at me and wanted to fight, person to person, but Rania didn¡¯t even see me as a human being. Her blue eyes were filled with ridicule, seeming as if they were looking at someone beneath her. ¡°Right, Mother?¡± ¡°Er-erk!¡± Something glistened in her hand, lighting up the small hall for a moment. It looked different from what I¡¯d seen in my previous life, such as a candle or a lightbulb. I couldn¡¯t open my eyes properly for a while because of the intense light. ¡°Now you look like a human.¡± ¡°Wha, what is that¡­¡± ¡°Would you understand even if I explained?¡± I¡¯d meant to give her a hateful smile, but I then saw my hands and feet. In that moment, I was unable to get used to being in a human body at the sudden change and moved to shake my beak, only to realize I was shaking my head and that the feeling of my beak had disappeared. ¡°¡­What to do. It looks like you¡¯re awkward in a human body and more used to being an animal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still nighttime, how is this possible¡­¡± ¡°I made a person into an animal, why wouldn¡¯t I be able to make night into day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Click. As she pressed her thumb against something on the small stick that was about the size of a ballpoint pen, our surroundings became dark like before. I felt my body tingle indicating my transformation into a swan before Rania clicked the button on the stick and the light appeared again. Perhaps she felt proud of herself, because she gave me a smug smile. ¡°Illuna. It¡¯s an item that only the Northern Lord can hold. It works by emitting light that¡¯s been gathered from the sun, so it¡¯s perfect for the North where the days are short.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that a lowlife can¡¯t dare to covet so you should put away any thoughts you have on using it.¡± ¡°Hahhh.¡± I looked at Rania who stood in front of me, slightly bending over. There was no other witch like her who¡¯d casually scoff and smile over such a precious magic item. ¡°But I guess this really does work. Hm, this is fun.¡± ¡°Rania Unni! What are you doing right now!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I told you! That this woman went to the city on her own!¡± As expected, Rebecca wouldn¡¯t stay quiet for long even if her sister pressured her to stop. As soon as I returned to my human body, she quickly began to complain to Rania. ¡°She did it on purpose to humiliate the duke¡¯s household! Or she was trying to run away!¡± ¡°¡­Rebecca.¡± ¡°She even said with her own mouth that she¡¯s my mother in front of all those people in the city! Is that something she should even be saying?¡± ¡°Hm, yes, I think we¡¯ll need an explanation. What do you think, Mother?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rania¡¯s upturned lips returned to their original flat position. I stood up as she turned to me with a frown. ¡°As if you¡¯re even going to believe me if I explain?¡± ¡°¡­Duchess.¡± ¡°You called me ¡®Mother, Mother¡¯ so often that I thought I¡¯d really become your mother, but what a surprise when you came looking for me in the middle of the night to tie a rope around my neck.¡± *Tap.* My hands had been gripping the floor, and they stung as I shook them, probably having gotten a few splinters when I fell. But since they¡¯d only enjoy watching me suffer I pressed down on my pain and pretended like nothing happened as I looked at the two of them. ¡°If I was trying to escape, I¡¯d have already tried before, and do you really think I¡¯d walk around showing my face like that?¡± ¡°Then why did you go all the way to a pastry shop for dessert?¡± ¡°And exactly what else do you think a woman in her 20s goes to a cake shop to do?¡± Are you stupid or what? I snorted as if what she said was ridiculous, and Rania¡¯s brows furrowed. But I knew this kind of attitude would actually help allay her suspicions. ¡°I just went because there wasn¡¯t anything proper to eat. I thought I¡¯d get something sweet while I was out.¡± ¡°You think that makes sense? You live half of your life as a black swan, why do you need dessert!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go and stuff yourself with some raw fish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I gave a sharp retort to Rebecca, who, unable to contain herself, tried to get a word in. Of course, I myself never ate raw fish, but I could say whatever I wanted to a person who¡¯d never lived as a wild animal. ¡°Why? Do you want to experience firsthand what it feels like to crave sweets after living like me?¡± ¡°W-what! So just for one measly cake¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. I went absolutely crazy for it.¡± ¡°Eek¡­¡± Rebecca flinched and backed away as I raised my head to look at her. Hands trembling like an invalid¡¯s, she hid behind her sister. ¡°U-unni. What are you doing! You¡¯re not really going to believe what she¡¯s saying, right? At this rate, if we bring shame to the family name¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll grab her by the neck and bury her alive in ice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rania regarded me with furrowed brows. She narrowed her eyes at me, mentioning the notorious ice swamp torture method as she warned me. ¡°The Duchess knows exactly what I mean. If you pull something like this one more time¡­¡± ¡°The eldest daughter will lose all claims to the family title.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why do you even try. We both know what the situation is. I laughed as nonchalantly as possible and smoothed out the creases on my dress. I know my value, too. It wouldn¡¯t take much effort to break my neck, but the situation would become much more complicated in the aftermath. Though I was being used as a puppet, the fact was that the Duchess Evendell held an overwhelming amount of power and prestige in the palm of her hands. ¡°You probably still need my existence. You¡¯ll probably need an ¡®intact woman.¡¯ and you¡¯ll need to show my face from time to time.¡± ¡°¡­Catherine.¡± ¡°Of course my life is very important.¡± Adjusting the stiff collar still around my neck, I looked at Rania squarely in the eyes. She was a smart girl, she wouldn¡¯t get rid of me over something like this. Look all throughout the Northern Kingdom. There¡¯s no other aristocrat family who¡¯d so blatantly sell their daughter like mine. ¡°So you can rest assured. I didn¡¯t know today¡¯s incident would end up becoming so big, I¡¯ll be more careful next time. I won¡¯t recklessly go out¡­¡± ¡°No. Go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t let you leave.¡± She gave me a sly smile and lightly looked at me with a slit-eyed look. ¡°What should I be afraid of? The likes of you can¡¯t survive anywhere but here. What can you do when you can only be human for half a day. You¡¯ll come crawling back all on your own to avoid being killed by hunters, won¡¯t you? ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t go around pretending to be nice.¡± Rania¡¯s fingernails slowly climbed up towards my cheek. ¡°Catherine. If you¡¯d rather go on a wicked rampage, like the half-crazy witch you really are¡­wouldn¡¯t the situation become difficult for you if these types of rumors spread?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s qualified to be appointed as the successor to the Northern Lands.¡± I couldn¡¯t even laugh at her thoughts that surpassed my imagination. She¡¯d already exceeded what normal people would consider the inconceivable. She wouldn¡¯t listen to what I said in response to her words anyway, so I nodded my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any interests in the throne, so there¡¯s nothing to discuss anymore. I get what you¡¯re saying. The incident this time will just have to be ignored¡­¡± ¡°Ignore? Who?¡± ¡°¡­¡± You¡¯re not saying, me? Rania pointed at my collarbone as her laughter seemed to thicken with a poisonous air. The atmosphere shifted, and the previously trembling Rebecca gained enough confidence to take a step towards me. ¡°¡­¡± If it was enough to make Rebecca¡¯s liver swell, there wasn¡¯t anything to be said about me, the target of this situation. What is this woman planning on doing? I grabbed at my chest, unable to make a sound, and Rania straightened herself and looked down at me with her blue eyes. ¡°As you wanted, Mother, I¡¯ll let you live, but I won¡¯t let you live so peacefully.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that. Next week, a lawyer from the Northern Union is going to check up on me?¡± ¡°Of course that might be so. To make sure that the Duchess is still alive, to check to see if she¡¯s completely fine and nothing is strange with her in any way.¡± As the last thing I¡¯d believed in with hope vanished, Rania swallowed her laughter and placed a finger on my cheek. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 The cold feeling on my cheek sent shivers down my spine. ¡°It looks like our naive mother doesn¡¯t really know what¡¯s going on¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just surface wounds that count, right?¡± The finger on my cheek traveled upwards and stopped at my ear. I could probably shake it off if I wanted¡­No, it would probably be difficult to deal with both sisters. But the scary thing was that Rania wasn¡¯t the type to stop at breaking bones in a couple of places. ¡°What are you planning now!¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re hurting my feelings. If others heard your words, they¡¯d think that I was trying to hurt you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her light chuckle echoed around us. She looked at me, my mouth closed tightly, and gestured to Rebecca. ¡°Rebecca, hurry and bring all the snacks you can find in the kitchen. Our one and only mother even left the estate because she wanted to eat sweets so badly, so we should make sure she eats them all to the last bite.¡± ¡°Are you sure Unni?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, do you want me to stuff you first?¡± ¡°N-no!¡± At Rania¡¯s narrowed eyes, Rebecca leaped up from her position. Whether from fear of excitement, she quickly opened the door and kicked aside the mallard ducks that were in the way. ¡°When did these things get here! Hurry and get lost! Heh, these animals seem to have a lot of loyalty.¡± ¡°QUACK QUACK!¡± ¡°Stop it! Stop kicking them!¡± ¡°Ahah¡­It¡¯s probably not the time for Mother to be worrying for them.¡± Rania pointed outside as she moved my head back to its original spot. I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and rolled up my sleeves, but the confrontation didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re frustrated but if you move that smart mouth of yours one more time¡­¡­What are you doing, Rebecca!¡± ¡°U-unni.¡± ¡°I told you to go and come back from the kitchen, but just how many steps have you taken to make such a fuss?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± Rebecca gestured hurriedly as if asking her sister to come outside. Seeing how she neither yelled or threw a temper but seemed genuinely stupefied, Rania had no choice but to step out. ¡°¡­.Just know that you¡¯re lucky this time.¡± She looked at me straight in the eyes and walked away, her steps echoing off the floor. Just what is going on. Rania had an annoyed look on her face as she approached and pushed aside her younger sister before stiffening in shock. ¡°Oh, Oh my God!¡± Rania looked like she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. I never thought she would be able to make such an expression. She wore an expression of shock and confusion mixed with an underlying hint of happiness. ¡°¡­U-ugh.¡± At the two sisters who were too dazed to care about me, I slowly raised my body. In the direction of Rania¡¯s gaze, a light was shining at the other side of the lake. As I remembered what that place was, the corners of my lips lifted up. ¡°Huh.¡± Looks like my luck was actually pretty good. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡°Quickly, Selene. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡¸That is, it¡¯s that the emperor has arrived at the Winter Palace!¡¹ *Flap flap* The excited Selene¡¯s voice was the loudest it¡¯s ever been. My hands shook as I heard her words while applying silver herb leaves to her wound made when Rebecca kicked the ducks earlier. ¡°Are you sure of this?¡± ¡¸Of course! The only people who have the authority to light up that palace are the emperor and the empress! ¡¹ ¡°It could be someone else from the royal family. I mean, you¡¯ve said there are seven brothers.¡± ¡¸That¡¯s not possible. All three pillars have been lit. This indicates that the emperor has arrived. Two for the Grand Duke, and for the rest of the royal family, only the one in the middle will light up.¡¹ She pointed towards the ball of light in the distance. Though it wasn¡¯t extremely clear because it was daytime, I could still make out three flames trailing towards the sky. It looked as if made of some sort of fire magic. ¡¸Why did the emperor come visit? It¡¯s the first time after the late emperor¡¯s visit years ago! I really wonder what¡¯s going on!¡¹ ¡°Well.¡± Wasn¡¯t it obvious. My smile was full of meaning. If the extremely busy emperor had come all the way here, he must be searching for something. ¡¸He¡¯s been at the warfront this whole time so why all of a sud-Ah!¡¹ ¡°Just stay still for a bit. I told you to stay put and hide so why did you run out at the very front.¡± ¡¸But we¡¯re all loyal to you. We were afraid you¡¯d get hurt while facing against the two sisters by yourself¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡°So what. One more mallard duck attacking would¡¯ve done something?¡± Though I said that, I was actually very grateful. What did it matter if doing that didn¡¯t help me. My heart warmed at their useless good intentions after living as an orphan who had grown up with no one by her side. ¡¸But it looks like the two ladies won¡¯t be able to bother us for now, right? Since all their attention will be on the emperor.¡¹ ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid, Selene? Last time you¡¯d tremble at the slightest mention of him.¡± ¡¸The emperor probably won¡¯t visit humble people like me anyway. And Rania will definitely block all paths to the lake. She does that for all her other esteemed guests.¡¹ ¡°Well¡­Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Though the lake inhabitants didn¡¯t pose any threats since they had been turned into mostly harmless animals, Rania took every precaution. People generally ignored this area as a remote place, but when guests came she completely sectioned off the lake. And so when she finished showing me off to her guests or making me sign documents, she¡¯d banish me back to the prison-like lake. ¡¸What perfect timing. I was afraid of what would happen if the situation made a turn for the worse.¡¹ ¡°You¡¯re right. It was perfect timing.¡± ¡¸¡­Your Ladyship seems to be in a good mood?¡¹ As though she¡¯d just regained her senses, she looked at me searchingly. I set her down in the lake and slowly walked around. ¡®Of course I am. Why wouldn¡¯t I be.¡¯ It was really difficult to get this perfect timing. I hadn¡¯t only escaped Rania¡¯s wrath. Whatever the reason for his visit, seeing that Haniel¡¯s big brother came himself, there was no need to expend further effort. ¡®What¡¯s there to be concerned about? I just have to return her to him!¡¯ Hello, Your Majesty. Your delivery package has arrived. If I just handed the princess to him with my own two hands, he wouldn¡¯t have to go around looking for Loam or the whatever missing magician brother. I didn¡¯t like the thought of meeting that infamous tyrant, but there wasn¡¯t any other way. I wouldn¡¯t need to risk my life to go to the city, and I wouldn¡¯t need to stand in lines to eat at famous shops. If I returned the lost princess, this would all be over, no wait¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if that would be the end. ¡°Hmm, wouldn¡¯t it be good to receive something.¡± ¡¸What was that, Your Ladyship?¡¹ ¡°Selene, you should wait too. We¡¯ll be getting some bonuses if we play this well.¡± It seemed like Rebecca roughly tying and dragging me away had never happened as a happy song burst from my slender neck. No matter how cruel he was, he wouldn¡¯t ignore his sister¡¯s savior, would he? I wasn¡¯t expecting much, but maybe the lake would be returned to me under my name. ¡°We are honored, Your Excellency, I am happy with staying by this lake. I met the beautiful Princess Haniel in this place and only ask to be able to treasure my precious memories made with her at this place.¡± I already thought of all the words I would say to the Emperor. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sympathize with animals, so making him believe the white swan was really Haniel was the problem, but I thought of a way to solve that too. ¡®I can just say I saw everything happen, right!¡¯ Without having to explain every little detail, I would just need to say I saw Loam turn Haniel into a swan. Wouldn¡¯t that make the white swan the princess? I was the perfect middleman for this. After playing as Rania¡¯s puppet for so long, I could pull off the ¡®accidental witness¡¯ act better than anyone else. Of course, maybe Loam actually didn¡¯t cast the magic himself¡­ ¡®Well, so what. If it¡¯s a false accusation, he¡¯ll show himself.¡¯ He was a person who needed to be caught anyways, it would be a relief if he showed up that way. And with the Emperor¡¯s capabilities, even if he didn¡¯t catch Loam, he could at least catch the magician who did this. The responsibilities and emotional commitment that came with being our precious Haniel¡¯s temporary guardian were now over. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± But strangely, I didn¡¯t feel relieved. I knew the reason my chest stung the way it did, but I ignored it and put my foot down even more firmly. ¡¸It has been a long time since our last meeting, Duchess.¡¹ ¡°Lady Melloe.¡± A goose at the edge of the lake bowed her head. As expected of an etiquette teacher, her overwhelming dignity belied her old age and thin frame. ¡¸I did not expect Your Ladyship to visit this old person. I thought you weren¡¯t fond of me. ¡¹ ¡°There is no such thing.¡± Though that was the exact reason I didn¡¯t visit her earlier, I didn¡¯t let go of my elegant smile. I needed to gain Lady Melloe¡¯s hard-to-earn approval. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Lady Melloe.¡± A goose at the edge of the lake bowed her head. As expected of an etiquette teacher, her overwhelming dignity belied her old age and thin frame. ¡¸I did not expect Your Ladyship to visit this old one. I thought the Duchess wasn¡¯t very fond of me. ¡¹ ¡°There is no such thing.¡± Though that was the exact reason I didn¡¯t visit her earlier, I didn¡¯t let go of my elegant smile. I needed to gain Lady Melloe¡¯s hard-to-earn approval. ¡¸In fact, I thought Your Ladyship would come looking for me, since Selene had brought me a baby swan to me yesterday saying it was under the Duchess¡¯s orders.¡¹ ¡°No, why would I come for such a reason?¡± ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ Can you please not look at me like that. I forced myself to smile and looked her in the eyes. Though I felt like Lady Melloe¡¯s stern gray eyes could read my thoughts, they quickly returned to being indifferent. ¡¸Well. I presume it isn¡¯t very good for you to coddle the child, visiting me like this, just because she is young.¡¹ ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m sure Lady Melloe will take good care of the child.¡± ¡¸Of course. I¡¯ve spent much of my time and energy into building this establishment. If anyone wants me to stop teaching they¡¯ll have to go as far as to pluck my beak off.¡¹ She proudly gestured towards the grassy area next to the lake. Though it was only an empty stretch of wetland, it had all the necessary conditions for the rearing and education for the children growing up at the lake. ¡¸For now, I am thinking of starting her on basic etiquette.¡¹ ¡°Etiquette? But she¡¯s still too young to learn such things.¡± ¡¸No. Age doesn¡¯t matter when one is trying to become a gentleman or a lady. Fortunately, the child seems to have an unexpected sense of dignity and class to her.¡¹ ¡°Of course she would.¡± Lady Melloe looked at me curiously as I murmured in agreement, and I let out a breath to calm myself. ¡°W-well¡­I¡¯m not very sure of anything, but I can tell you that she¡¯s quite the wonderful child.¡± ¡¸Her lineage itself is on another level, I am sure of it. She is most probably of noble blood, and it¡¯s most likely that she was the only one to survive after she and her parents were turned into animals. I could tell at first glance. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± Pfft. I could hear her scorn for Rania from her obstinate scoff. I could see that was one thing I could agree with. ¡¸In any case, as she is a child of such status it is all the more essential to set up a proper structured education for her instruction so that she will become a lady of outstanding achievements in the future.¡¹ ¡°But-¡± ¡¸Do not worry. I¡¯ve even invited a new instructor for the first year students. ¡¹ ¡°Ahh¡­¡± You really do all kinds of things, don¡¯t you. I didn¡¯t know how to respond to her words, so I gave a slight nod and tried to look impressed. Looks like she finally recruited someone to her side, but if it¡¯s someone Lady Melloe approved of, it¡¯s obvious how prim and precise they¡¯d be. ¡¸I promise, Your Ladyship will be pleased with them. They aren¡¯t in currently, but I will tell them to go say hello sometime.¡¹ ¡°Yes, thank you, well, that, I¡­¡± I¡¯m already tired of all the birds I know, you see. I awkwardly thanked her and braced myself. But Lady Melloe was someone who dominated the social circle, and nothing could escape her eyes. ¡¸However, if Your Ladyship hasn¡¯t come to see that child, then may I ask why have you visited me? Was there some other business on the Duchess¡¯s mind?¡¹ ¡°Ah¡­I actually had something to ask you, Lady Melloe.¡± ¡¸To me? ¡¹ She tidied up her feathers with a look of surprise. It was a natural reaction, since I¡¯d come looking for her after avoiding her all this time. ¡¸But the only information I could offer Your Ladyship is about the mannerisms of the Rohan Empire¡¯s noble families¡­¡¹ ¡°¡­That¡¯s why.¡± *Smile.* A graceful, quiet smile. She lowered her upper body in the most elegant manner possible. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to the most-qualified person for the job.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó It wasn¡¯t until about an hour or so that our conversation ended. As I checked the facts one by one, I only felt the corners of my mouth rise. ¡°¡­So that¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡¸Yes? What do you mean.¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Thanks to Lady Melloe I¡¯ve learned some very useful information..¡± I thanked her with all my heart. As I slightly bent my knees in thanks while speaking, perhaps Lady Melloe approved of my actions, as she looked at me with a pleased expression. Or at least what I mean is that she¡¯d look like that if she was in human form. ¡°Please do not overwork yourself, Lady Melloe. What if you fall ill.¡± ¡¸We must protect ourselves even if we are in the bodies of animals. If we give up just because of a curse and turn to eating all day long then that is when we really become wild beasts.¡¹ ¡°¡­Oh my.¡± Will you stop poking at my sore spot? It felt like she was talking about me, but it could just be that I was hearing things wrongly. Now¡¯s not the time for that anyway. Quickly turning to me, she opened her beak once more. ¡¸But is Your Ladyship really going to leave like that after coming all the way here?¡¹ ¡°Yes? Then¡­¡± ¡¸Why not take a tour around the school before Your Ladyship departs. The first year students¡¯ spirits will also be lifted when they hear that the Duchess has come for a visit. ¡¹ ¡°Haha, but there¡¯s really no need for that.¡± While casually looking around the marsh, I soon saw someone and swallowed my spit. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡¸It seems that they are still in class.¡¹ Lady Melloe followed my line of sight and nodded at the scene. Around ten small animals were diligently following their teacher, pruning their feathers, but the only one that came into my eyes was the one and only Haniel curled up in a corner all by herself. ¡°¡­Why, why is she far away from everyone, and alone.¡± ¡¸There is nothing to worry about. Once she gets tired of lying down in the grass, she¡¯ll have no choice but to adapt to the situation.¡¹ ¡°¡­Erk.¡± Excuse me! Would those words come out if this was your child? My heart had only felt a little priced before but now my stomach began to ache even though I¡¯d never given birth before. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I locked eyes with Haniel, who lay weakly drooping in the field of reeds. I felt as if a jolt of electricity had run down to my fingertips. But like last time, she didn¡¯t respond to me in my human form. My chest ached seeing the child who annoyingly followed me around crying, ¡®Mwommy, Mwommy¡¯ was now looking at me as if she couldn¡¯t recognize who I was. ¡¸¡­Hnngh.¡¹ Trembling with fear, Haniel buried her head into the ground again after looking around. It looked like her fist-sized body would just about roll into the lake with a plop. But despite how flustered I must have looked, Lady Melloe seemed aloof to it all. ¡¸If you have a problem with my method of discipline and would like to make a suggestion¡­¡¹ ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing!¡± I vigorously shook my head and straightened my clenched fingers. I turned towards Lady Melloe with a bright smile plastered on my face. ¡°I believe in you and entrust her to you until the very end.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó *Chatter.* The children quacked loudly in the forest as they played under the bright moon. Surveying them stiffly, Lady Melloe tapped the ground. The children stopped playing immediately. ¡¸You must do it with more certainty! If someone comes, you must lower your bodies as much as possible! Who is walking so loudly right now?¡¹ ¡¸Hnngh.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no use in crying! Crying in front of hunters will only call death! So cease your useless crying immediately!¡¹ There wasn¡¯t a hint of mercy in Lady Melloe¡¯s ringing voice. A terrified Haniel hiccupped and struggled to close her mouth, but her cries only echoed out into the woods. ¡¸Heuk¡­heuk!¡¹ ¡¸Y-Your Ladyship! Please calm down!¡¹ ¡¸That heartless, soulless grannie! If you stabbed that old woman not even a drop of blood would come out!¡¹ Hidden in the thicket, I munched ferociously on some weeds, but that wasn¡¯t enough to allay my anger. She really is determined to scold her, isn¡¯t she! This isn¡¯t even the army, how could you be so spiteful to such young kids? Fire burned in my observing eyes. ¡¸How could she be like that. It¡¯s because she acts like that that she became Rania¡¯s target!¡¹ ¡¸T-the same could be said for Your Ladyship¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, Haniel!¡¹ Because her neck was long, Haniel¡¯s sorrowful cries echoed even farther through the woods. She tried to keep her mouth closed out of fear of being heard, but she only became sadder. ¡¸My goodness Your Ladyship. How many hours have we been like this for?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ ¡¸You even skipped dinner. Should I prepare something for you?¡¹ ¡¸No. Do you think I can swallow food in this state?¡¹ That poor Haniel couldn¡¯t even drink one mouthful of water! The tip of my nose soured and I couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment. I was going to enjoy a bath in the lake after I successfully got information from Lady Melloe and warmly sent her away, but by the time I came to my senses I was already sneakily watching Haniel. With an ¡®I knew you were going to do this¡¯ face, Selene then found and sat down with me while clicking her tongue. ¡¸Please try to understand. Lady Melloe has always been quite strict¡¹ ¡¸You call that strict? This is a lake, not Sparta?!¡¹ ¡¸¡­But she is still learning some very important things. To survive in the wild alone, it¡¯s a good thing to learn as much as you possibly can.¡¹ ¡¸Who¡¯s alone?¡¹ Do you know how many brothers she has? And among them, do you know who the eldest brother is? Selene faltered, seeing me stare at her like I was going to twist her tightly clamped beak. But in actuality, I knew better than anyone that Selene was at no fault. ¡®¡­It would¡¯ve been nice if I could have raised her. I could have taught her everything step by step.¡¯ More tension filled my heavily restrained beak. As if my intentions showed through my tense expression, Selene spoke again. ¡¸If you¡¯re going to be like that, you should have just taken her in yourself, Your Ladyship. You wouldn¡¯t even be raising her, you¡¯d just be looking after her until her brother was found. It wouldn¡¯t even take that long, though it¡¯s a little annoying at the moment¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not for that reason¡¹ ¡¸¡­Huh? Aren¡¯t you sending her away because it¡¯s too troublesome?¡¹ Selene tilted her head in confusion. She looked as if to ask if there was anything more to it. No, it¡¯s not like that because it¡¯s me. ¡¸If I raise her, my attachment to her will linger for the rest of my life.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡¸And though it would be a simple gesture of kindness on my part, the baby white swan would be thinking about it so much she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. When I¡¯m coming, when she can see me, she¡¯ll probably only be able to think about that.¡¹ Just like how I used to do. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°¡­¡± When I used to live in the orphanage, a volunteer worker visited every now and then, and after they¡¯d stroked my head one time, I wasn¡¯t able to sleep at night. I¡¯d try to replay the feeling of their fingers on my head by patting my head with my hands, heart thumping with excitement. When will they come again? When will they come and pat my head again? At the sound of cars I would run out and wait, to no avail. Even after multiple times of this same occurrence, I didn¡¯t know when to stop. But I knew to stop when I met that person again. ¡¸Oh my, I¡¯ve never seen a girl this friendly upon our first meeting. How wonderful. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ This isn¡¯t the first time though. You praised me for being a good child! My heart didn¡¯t pound from having my hair patted like the first time. It didn¡¯t get warm, nor did it throb. It was only then that I realized that I was just like any sort of random pitiful child to this person, and my already cold world became colder. ¡¸You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I explained to you, Selene. Because your parents are here.¡¹ ¡¸Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll only confuse her by being nice to her for a few days. I can¡¯t be the only one in a comfortable position.¡¹ ¡¸But Your Ladyship isn¡¯t just being casually nice to her, you really mean it.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmph.¡¹ I¡¯m telling you, she only catches on quickly at times like this. I lowered my head as if I hadn¡¯t heard her. The children only rested for a few minutes before the lessons started again. ¡¸Ugh. That old woman¡¯s at it again.¡¹ I covered my mouth trying to stop my tears that felt like they had been waiting to come out. At the thought that one day Haniel would wake up to the cold reality of the world like I did, I felt like I was suffocating. ¡¸See that! She¡¯s only like that to Haniel! She leaves the other kids alone and just goes after my Haniel!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Your Ladyship, that¡¯s because Haniel¡¯s the only one who isn¡¯t able to follow the instructions. ¡¹ ¡¸Ergh. Shut your beak.¡¹ You think this is her fault, that she can¡¯t follow instructions because she doesn¡¯t want to? There¡¯s always a last place if there¡¯s a first place! But at times like these, I thought that it was fortunate Haniel didn¡¯t have a mother present. To have to hear the painful words of someone else scolding their own child for not doing something well enough would make anyone¡¯s heart pound like it would pop out of their chest. ¡¸Heup. But what are they doing? What did she teach them for them to be like that?¡¹ ¡¸Ah ah, she¡¯s taught them to act like that if they get wounded and form a bruise.¡¹ At the tears that started to fill my eyes once more, Selene continued to explain as if trying to appease me. The children all gathered in one place, with their heads back and tongues out. And naturally, my Haniel wasn¡¯t able to even follow that and only blinked her eyes. ¡¸Whew. That is such a useful lesson, but it seems that whether she¡¯s really trying or not, Haniel just can¡¯t stay focused.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ Come again, you birdbrain? As I glowered at her, Selene instinctively lowered her head. At this rate, Haniel would end up labeled as a failure of a student, so I tried to wrap up the facts as much as I could. ¡¸It¡¯s because she¡¯s still young. She¡¯s a newborn baby. When she learns to understand people¡¯s words, Lady Melloe will probably say she doesn¡¯t need to take lessons at her academy.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. Of course. As if she¡¯s someone¡¯s child. ¡¹ ¡¸¡­She¡¯s different from us.¡¹ I didn¡¯t have any more energy to scold Selene. It was already heartbreaking peeping at Haniel through the bushes. ¡¸I¡¯m telling you, she already has many family members to teach her. So rather than staying at a place like this, for sure¡­¡¹ It would be better for her to return. This was actually the reason that pricked my heart the most. Even if Haniel¡¯s brother was a tyrant, what better people than her own blood-related family members to take care of her. I couldn¡¯t help but stress the importance of family, perhaps since I¡¯d never had one. ¡¸¡­Of course. ¡¹ That was obvious. What¡¯s more important than family, right? I quickly turned my head before my heart would soften at Haniel¡¯s trembling appearance. If I kept being like this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to let Haniel go. Before that happened, I shifted my attention and called Selene over as I thought of the next step in my plan. ¡¸What¡¯s the emperor¡¯s usual schedule for when he stays at the Winter Palace?¡¹ ¡¸Uhm¡­Usually the highest noble families of the region are to hold a welcome party for the emperor. Because one can only visit the Palaces of the regions upon invitation from the emperor or empress.¡¹ ¡¸Then does that mean the duke¡¯s household usually host such an event?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Since the House of the Duke of Evendell has the highest standing in the North. ¡¹ Despite being a worker in the household, I could hear the pride in her voice as she spoke of the duke¡¯s family. She fluffed up her feathers. ¡¸We prepared so much food for the previous celebrations. We even decorated the halls with ice sculptures and covered the floors with golden silk. Everyone admired the ice flowers and jewelry.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Then when will a celebration happen again?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not very sure. Since all the nobles of the Northern Lands will need to first be invited to the welcome party¡­Wh-what is it. No way¡­do you actually want to attend it?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean, ¡®No way.¡¯¡¹ ¡¸Your Ladyship! You can¡¯t! You will only face humiliation if you go. You will be in front of many people and even the Emperor will be there!¡¹ ¡¸All the more reason to go.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ She was reacting like this because she didn¡¯t know the situation properly, but Selene was utterly terrified. She tried to express her worries while licking at the wound she¡¯d gotten last night. ¡¸Still, you can¡¯t. Do you not remember what Lady Rania said to you? She told you not to show your face and to not leave the estate for the moment, saying that she absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow any of that.¡¹ ¡¸How funny.¡¹ I wasn¡¯t making fun of Rania, I actually meant what I said. I shrugged my shoulders and turned towards the brightly-lit palace across the lake. ¡¸Then did she curse me with my permission?¡¹ ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡°Please forgive us, Your Majesty. Because there was no time to prepare properly for Your Excellencies¡¯ arrival, many things are now lacking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The manager of the Winter Palace trembled like an aspen tree. With the emperor suddenly arriving with the two princes at the Palace in the middle of the night, it was impossible to figure out their motives. ¡°U-uh, though I¡¯m not sure what is Your Majesty¡¯s purpose-¡± ¡°Do I have to get permission to come to my own house?¡± ¡°¡­No. Not at all, Your Majesty.¡± As one of Rashid¡¯s eyes began to narrow, the manager prostrated his body to the ground. It seemed as though daggers would fall on his head should he dare lift it. But the Emperor¡¯s intentions really couldn¡¯t be fathomed at this point. ¡°The late Empress often spoke of the beauty of this place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Peyton, who had been watching the man¡¯s fidgeting body, spoke up. Though the chances of finding their sister here were slim, they had to put to rest any suspicions to lessen the risk of useless news of Haniel¡¯s disappearance spreading. ¡°The Emperor has taken some time to himself for the first time since his ascension to the throne. We are just here to quietly take a look, so watch your behavior.¡± ¡°Ahh I see. I will quickly prepare the bedrooms and studies for your use.¡± With an ¡®oh, I get it¡¯ expression, the manager straightened. The Winter Palace was the late Empress¡¯s favorite place, so it made sense if her sons wanted to follow her footsteps in her memory. It seemed as though the rumors that they were only cold-blooded were wrong. A warm expression spread across the man¡¯s face for the first time. ¡°Then would Your Excellencies first like a tour around the estate? The late Empress particularly enjoyed the beauty of the Palladium lake. There are many places to go and many rare animals to see-¡± ¡°Do you think I came here to see some animals!¡± ¡°¡­T-then what would Your Majesty like to see¡­¡± ¡°That¡­¡± At the emperor¡¯s anger, the manager hurriedly swallowed his words. But with effort, the irritated Rashid slowly shut his mouth. The lines on his frustrated face softened, leaving a hint of confusion. ¡°¡­Enough about that. Did you announce my arrival?¡± ¡°Yes, I have. There was a commotion as soon as the three lit up pillars were spotted.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°According to standard practice, I¡¯ve invited Duchess Evendell for your arrival first. The late Empress was first welcomed by the Duchess in a welcome party.¡± ¡°¡­The Duchess.¡± ¡°Yes. But since Your Honorable Highness wanted to rest quietly, I will turn her away. Even though having the Duchess be host is the custom, I¡¯m sure she will understand since she doesn¡¯t have the Duke to ask nor does she have an empress to serve. I will inform Lady Rania inste-¡± ¡°What, no. Who told you to do that.¡± Rashid, who had been holding his head, suddenly stretched out his hand, and the manager began to tremble, his throat dry. At seeing the look on the princes¡¯ faces, the manager caught on quickly and hastily brought out a letter. ¡°H-here it is, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°¡­This is.¡± ¡°Yes. This is the Duke Household¡¯s crest. Though it is the symbol of the North, rumor has it that the Duke¡¯s Household wishes to change it on the reason of it being too ominous of a sign.¡± Rashid eyed the seal on top of the elegant envelope. His sharp eyes made out two black swan feathers inlaid on top of crystals. As he smoothly tore open the wax with his thumb, Rashid¡¯s red lips turned upwards into a smile. ¡°¡­No. How fitting.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 T/N Rania has been changed to Lania because I don¡¯t like Rashid and Rania starting with the same letters as if they¡¯re siblings. R is interchangeable with L, so the switch is fine, though the name Rashid cannot be changed to Lashid because the Korean word ??? is probably referring to the specific name Rashid. ¡°This isn¡¯t good enough! Set up more decorations!¡± After surveying the hall, Lania lifted her hands up and raised her voice to shout orders. The arch-shaped grand ceiling and marble floor were already sparkling enough, but her face was still full of discontent. ¡°Hang a diamond at the center of the chandelier. To the extent that their eyes will be blinded!¡± ¡°¡­Just whose eyes have to be blinded. Seriously.¡± ¡°Lonan.¡± She raised her eyebrows at the person who had approached her without a sound. However, they seemed to know each other well because Lania didn¡¯t rebuke the other for speaking to her with disrespect. ¡°I told you not to show up without my permission.¡± ¡°Oh dear. But I thought I could be of use to you.¡± ¡°I told you, no. If you use magic carelessly people will try to find out what your identity is. And ¡®that person¡¯ isn¡¯t an ordinary human being.¡± ¡°¡­Of course. He has inherited the blood of the grand magician Kerhan.¡± Like a slick-looking snake, Lonan¡¯s mouth curled up as he spoke. His bony face was revealed from underneath the black robe he wore. Though he was obviously a rare, handsome man, he didn¡¯t seem like a living person at all. ¡°But for His Majesty to have accepted the invitation to the welcome banquet, what a surprise.¡± ¡°¡­Hmph, what do you mean surprise.¡± *Whoosh* Lania unfolded her fan with a flip of a hand and covered her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a banquet being hosted by the feudal lord of the North. As long as there isn¡¯t anything important happening at the same time, the emperor will most likely attend it.¡± ¡°But he can¡¯t be here unless for something important.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°I just thought it was interesting that he came all the way here without any knights or guards. And he arrived without any notice as well.¡± ¡°According to the manager of the palace, the emperor is here to cherish the favorite visiting location of the late empress.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you believe those words?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lonan¡¯s eyes flashed, and Lania folded the fan that had been covering her face. Her smile had disappeared, her face haggard. ¡°Impertinent. How dare you tell me such lies?¡± ¡°Well, take my words as that I¡¯m worried for you. My fate is tied to yours, after all.¡± Even after her fierce glare, Lonan only grinned. ¡°Though, well, I¡¯ll be fine as long as you keep your promise¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t forgotten, so move your hand.¡± ¡°How cold-hearted you are. But it was this exact hand that completed the transforming tasks of everyone you wanted finished.¡± Lonan let out an uncharacteristic whine as he looked at his hand held in midair. Their relationship hadn¡¯t developed overnight. They were clear about what they wanted from each other, though they haven¡¯t fully received them yet, both confident about their eventual success. ¡°Well anyway, are you alright with this?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s customary for the Duchess to personally meet the Emperor. You¡¯d at least need to have Catherine dragged out of that villa before night falls for a greeting.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that!¡± Lania coldly gripped the hem of her skirt as her face shook. ¡°I¡¯ve already made her the head of the family, and now you want me to have a woman of no standing to represent the Duke¡¯s Household?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still tradition. His Majesty could also ask you about it.¡± ¡°The Emperor?¡± *Ha,* Lania snorted and smiled as if she doubted what she¡¯d heard. It remained unclear what her thoughts were, but her face relaxed once more. ¡°You think such a noble figure would care about a trifling matter? Please don¡¯t say anything more ridiculous. Since his days as Crown Prince, he¡¯s only been thinking of the empire and the war campaign.¡± ¡°¡­But the Emperor¡¯s men are probably different? Especially the Third Prince, who¡¯s also a feudal lord. He might be well informed on the situation of the North.¡± ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t think up to that point? I can just say she¡¯s sick in bed.¡± She shrugged her shoulders, as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°At best, isn¡¯t it just like when lawyers and inspectors walked in and out of the premises. His Majesty the Emperor is coming. Not even a single hair of someone who doesn¡¯t have the status from a count¡¯s household should be seen at the banquet.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t she just step out and go to the city a bit ago? There are now rumors circulating that the Duchess is actually different from what the rumors say of her.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll have to make it so she never even thinks of setting her foot out again.¡± How dare she. She still grinded her teeth at the fact that she couldn¡¯t finish what she¡¯d begun the other day while being too busy to verify the three lights at the Winter Palace. ¡°Really, how many months will she even last like that. But it¡¯d be best for you to keep her as far away as you can while the Emperor is here.¡± ¡°So you want to just leave that woman alone? She might cause trouble outside even before the banquet begins-.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Someone might think I sent you an invitation to the banquet.¡± Lania returned to fanning her face as she put on an expression that said that she thought Lonan was saying something absurd. Her blue eyes, which slowly moved to the windows of the hall, looking in the direction of the villa, were filled with blatant contempt. ¡°Hmph, she¡¯s been stuck in a lake, what would she know about how the world runs?¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡¸¡­They were insulting you like that, you know?¡¹ ¡°Oh my, I see. Here, eat a little more.¡± I picked off the two pond snails off the back of the sparrows and held them in my hands. I offered them the moss they liked and leisurely leaned back. ¡°You all worked very hard.¡± ¡¸It was nothing.¡¹ The green snail, who¡¯d once been a knight in the Duke¡¯s household, shyly lowered his antennae. According to Selene, these two were originally transformed into ducks, but after they attempted to escape, were caught and then turned into snails. They were now at the bottom of the food chain, an existence that could only eat and poop. But that was just what Lania thought, because to me, they were like the perfect, personal wiretaps. ¡®You probably didn¡¯t think I could do this, huh.¡¯ The ducks and geese, who take up a large majority of the lake community, were mobile, but large enough to be noticeable. Though the best they could do was something like how Selene had gone and stolen an object in the middle of the night, snails could hide anywhere, they only needed to be stuck onto a surface. A sparrow like this who could operate at a command was no different from an iPhone that didn¡¯t need charging. ¡°So, what else did she say? Did the Emperor say why he came to visit? If he was looking for someone or if he was trying to recruit help¡­¡± ¡¸That, I couldn¡¯t quite¡­I¡¯m so sorry, Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡°No, that¡¯s alright.¡± It seems Haniel¡¯s disappearance was being kept under wraps. Based on what I knew of the emperor, it was possible that he was actually treating this as a very serious matter. Because Haniel wasn¡¯t well-known in the kingdom, I couldn¡¯t exclude the possibility that there had been no news of her not because they weren¡¯t taking her disappearance seriously, but because the search for her was actually being kept a secret. ¡°Then when will the banquet begin?¡± ¡¸This afternoon at 4pm.¡¹ ¡°What? That soon?¡± Well, someone¡¯s impatient. I suddenly stood up and looked up, gazing at the sky. Though it was still light outside, I still needed to remain vigilant. There was about an hour until the sun set at six. In that time, I had to meet the princes and return Haniel to them. ¡°¡­¡± If I missed today, I couldn¡¯t tell when I¡¯d get another chance to see them. As I walked into the forest, my steps grew heavier and heavier. Selene, who had brought Haniel over, looked at me with a helpless expression. It seemed that she¡¯d painstakingly dragged Haniel with her beak, carefully trying to avoid hurting her. ¡¸I brought her because you asked, but I¡¯m still not sure this is the right thing to do. She was hiding all by herself today as well.¡¹ ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡¸Lady Melloe said she¡¯s only had a few meals. She said Haniel¡¯s been adapting more slowly than expected-¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± There was no need to adapt to this place any more. I picked up Haniel, who felt like a dry little ball in my hands. Though my hardened mind and determination wavered after embracing her softly for the first time in many days, I made sure I didn¡¯t see her face. ¡°We should go in and get ready first. There isn¡¯t much time left until the banquet.¡± ¡¸Are you really planning on going?¡¹ ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t have another opportunity like this.¡± ¡­For me or her. I raised my head, having been looking at Haniel this whole time. As I was placing down the snails onto the ground, they clamored out as if they remembered something. ¡¸Also, Lady Lania said that she would block all the paths from the lake.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. We heard everything. There might be people who stumble into the lake after coming out of the banquet for a stroll, so the paths to the lake will be completely shut down.¡¹ ¡°Really? With what?¡± ¡¸They can¡¯t use magic in case it¡¯s detected, and they didn¡¯t have time to order barbed wire fences, so for now they¡¯re piling thorny bushes there. The carpenters should have arrived by now.¡¹ ¡°¡­I see.¡± No matter how much I blankly stared at them, the two pond snails curled up and didn¡¯t move an inch, sneaking peeks at me from time to time. It was as if they were suggesting that they¡¯d yet to eat their fill. ¡¸We¡¯re very sorry, Your Ladyship. But even so, I think it is good to be careful. If they¡¯re carpenters the Duchess herself brought, they will have considerable skill. They will make a robust structure as good as any iron fence.¡¹ ¡°But in the end, it¡¯s not actual iron.¡± ¡¸¡­¡¹ ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve done well. I¡¯ll make sure you get more food, so make sure to rest under your rock today. Oh right, by the way, do you mind doing me one more favor while you¡¯re on your way?¡± The snails paused at my words as they were climbing onto the sparrows¡¯ backs and looked as if they were raising their eyebrows. ¡°Call over a beaver.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó Boom. The servants opened the Duke Household¡¯s huge front doors in perfect synchronization. At one point, the Duke¡¯s Household had been the center of the Northern Kingdom¡¯s high society, but after Duke Evendell¡¯s passing last year, all parties had been subsequently cancelled. Normally, the mourning period for a father lasted 3 months, but Lady Lania had been extremely strict on this, even extending the mourning period. A very wise lady indeed! Because of that, people didn¡¯t forget their praises of her filial piety. Moreover, she had only been concerned with the Northern Kingdom¡¯s affairs while other ladies were out busily enjoying parties. ¡°Welcome, Count Connell, Countess.¡± ¡°To see the Palace doors open like this once more overwhelms me with so much emotion.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Lania flashed an elegant smile as she greeted the guests lined up in the hall. They marvelled at the Countess¡¯ blinding blonde hair and angelic figure. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 T/N Starting from the last chapter, I have changed Rania to Lania. I don¡¯t like Lania¡¯s name starting with the same letter as Rashid¡¯s name. ¡°You should have shown yourself to us sooner. All of the eligible bachelors in the Northern Kingdom have been anxiously waiting.¡± ¡°Haha, Countess, please.¡± ¡°Even when the late Duchess was alive, she seldom held big parties like this. It¡¯s been more than 3 years since such a lavish party was held.¡± ¡°While the Emperor and my father fought for Rohan side by side on the battlefield, how could we have indifferently enjoyed a party?¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± As if admiring Lania¡¯s words, the ladies continued to praise her to no end. The families aiming for Lania as a daughter-in-law were definitely not few in number. Though there might be others who were as beautiful and wise as Lania, there were none in the Northern Kingdom whose enormous inheritance and title could be bought with a dowry. ¡°Why not go over there and talk with our family¡¯s son instead of standing around like this? He was recently recruited by the Fourth Prince as a guard for the imperial family.¡± ¡°And how about our family¡¯s son. He was taken in for management, so if all goes well he could become one of the Emperor¡¯s close aids.¡± ¡°The Emperor¡¯s close aid?¡± The noblewoman grew more excited as Lania put on a bashful smile as she lifted her gaze. It may seem foolish, but it was a mother¡¯s heart to be able to boast of her son day and night. ¡°Indeed. People say his future is very secure. In at most three years, he¡¯ll be promoted to manager-¡± ¡°When he retires in thirty years and receives his pension, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to live as an honest old man, even if he¡¯ll be far from wealthy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I really congratulate you, Countess. I¡¯m sure there is a lady who will share that blessing with him somewhere around, right?¡± ¡°Ah ah¡­yes. Well, I¡­I suppose it¡¯s like that.¡± Hm, what was this feeling. Prompted by Lania¡¯s gentle expression, the dumbfounded Countess lifted her lips into an awkward smile. Though she felt something was off, she couldn¡¯t say anything in front of the Duchess who held her hands and laughed together with her. As if knowing she would respond that way, Lania gracefully lowered her head. ¡°Then I will excuse myself to the other waiting guests¡­¡± ¡°May the distinguished guests rise! His Excellency The Emperor is now arriving! ¡°Hah¡­¡± A messenger¡¯s voice loudly rang throughout the hall before Lania could even turn away from the countess she had been talking to. Those standing in the hall turned around en masse and knelt in unison. *Tuk.* A pair of shoes stepped onto the stretch of red carpet laid onto the black staircase. He was such a radiant being, even a mere glimpse of him from afar made everyone hold their breath. As Rashid, leading the two princes behind him, climbed the stairs, people swallowed their breath as they stood frozen in place. ¡°¡­¡± His platinum blonde hair shined even more brilliantly than his fluttering golden cloak. The two brothers also had the same hair color, but the emperor was an existence no different from the very sun. And as he faced the people in the hall, his proud, arrogant, red eyes captivated the entire hall. The musicians in the corner of the hall slowly stopped playing the banquet music. ¡°¡­¡± A perfect stillness continued in the hall, though silence was what seemed to suit this man best. *Step step,* the sound of heels on the floor echoed throughout the hall. At the sight of him crossing the red velvet without hesitation, it was as if they could see an illusion of the emperor walking on a trail of blood. ¡°I give my humble greetings to His Excellency, the one blessed by the Supreme Lord Therez, and the two princes of our empire. I am Lania, the eldest daughter of the Duke Evendell Household.¡± ¡°Rise.¡± Even this short utterance held an unapproachable heaviness to it. And it seemed that the only one who could answer to this was the Duke Household¡¯s representative. ¡°We are all honored at your acceptance to the banquet invitation, Your Majesty. It feels like a dream to have met you once more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At her pleasant and elegant greeting, the tension that had gripped everyone else in the room slightly dispersed. As everyone straightened their knees and stood up, she moved closer and gave a more personal greeting with a shy expression on her face. ¡°Three years have passed since, and I¡¯m honored at the prospect that Your Majesty still remembers me.¡± ¡°Three years since what?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, as in, since the time the late Empress had visited, time has passed.¡± Lania¡¯s smile faltered, as the unbelievable thought sank in that he didn¡¯t remember her from their first meeting. But the insensitive Rashid¡¯s red eyes shifted from her to look around the room. It seemed as though he were searching for someone. ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Lady Lania must have worked hard, preparing such a welcoming celebration.¡± The overlooked Peyton stepped forward and spoke a word of thanks to Lania. Since he had succeeded his younger uncle¡¯s position as the southern feudal lord, he had been acquainted with the late Duke Evendell. ¡°It was nothing. This is only obvious for me to do, as the Sun of the Empire has come all the way to the Northern Lands.¡± ¡°But still, we heard that there hadn¡¯t been a single party or banquet after the late duke¡¯s passing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only natural for me as his daughter. My chest still stings like it¡¯s being ripped apart at the thought of my late father, but if Father was still here today, he would have been happier than anyone else.¡± Lania¡¯s voice quickly returned to being smooth and composed like a fish in water. As several noblewomen nearby lifted their handkerchiefs as if touched by Lania¡¯s filiality, she carefully looked up at Rashid. Her eyes, blue like a pond, gave off a translucent glow as they were illuminated by the diamond chandelier¡¯s light. ¡°Father often heeded me to always serve Your Majesty with the utmost loyalty and respec-¡± ¡°And if that¡¯s so, why haven¡¯t you adhered to his teachings?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s respect, there should have been another bowing their head to Jihm before you did.¡± T/N Jihm is the Korean equivalent of ¡®Zhen¡¯ in Chinese, which is basically what emperors called themselves instead of ¡®I¡¯ or ¡®me.¡¯ It¡¯s the same character, ? [ëÞ] Rashid swept the hall with his eyes once more. Lania smiled with an expression that showed she was confused at the searching actions of the one before her. ¡°What could you be speaking of¡­Ah, if you are perhaps talking about my younger sibling Rebecca, she¡¯s over there, waiting-¡± ¡°Are you placing your younger sibling before your mother? Is this the etiquette of a lady?¡± ¡°¡­B-by Mother, you mean-¡± ¡°It looks like the widow of the late duke doesn¡¯t have any sense of existence in this place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not only Lania, but the other guests all froze at the unexpected name from the emperor¡¯s mouth. Though they had all heard of this widow before, few had actually met her in person. Of course, no one had a single interest in meeting and seeing a witch. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the lady one more time. Where is the widowed Duchess?¡± No one was interested, excluding this one person, the most esteemed emperor. ¡°Did you not hear Jihm¡¯s words.¡± ¡°I-I did, Your Majesty. The matter isn¡¯t anything like that.¡± *Gulp.* Lania swallowed, her mouth feeling dry. She wondered how the emperor who didn¡¯t remember her own existence could be looking for Catherine. It bothered her that he sounded as if he knew Catherine pretty well. ¡°Why does such a noble personage such as Your Majesty seek my mother?¡± ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t think highly of your stepmother.¡± ¡°¡­How could I. It¡¯s just that she hasn¡¯t been feeling well lately and has opted to stay in for almost all the time.¡± *Ha.* Lania¡¯s shoulders stiffened at Rashid¡¯s short bark of laughter. ¡°Staying in, really?¡± ¡°Yes. After Father¡¯s passing, she¡¯d been out of her mind ever since, keeping herself in seclusion and refusing all food and drink.¡± ¡°That woma-¡­no, the widowed Duchess has really refused all food and drink?¡± The emperor¡¯s ridiculing laughter only deepened. Tenon and Peyton¡¯s faces looked confused and closed their mouths, and Lania, thinking this was the wrong answer, quickly shifted her posture and spoke again. ¡°I did not want to say this because it is a disgraceful family affair, but my mother is very ill. She is not just physically unwell, but also has a bit of a mental problem¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°N-no, not necessarily¡­just that there are things Mother is lacking to properly greet Your Majesty today..¡± Lania fidgeted with her dress as if frustrated by Rashid¡¯s outspokenly direct remarks. If things had gone according to schedule the emperor should have started his first dance by now, but why was talking about that woman taking so long. ¡°I deeply apologize, Your Majesty. I have offended you with my family¡¯s personal affairs.¡± ¡°But, Your Excellency, if I may, Lady Lania has done absolutely nothing wrong. The widowed Duchess has been unwell in many areas, both physically and mentally, an unsurprising fact that we¡¯ve all known for a time.¡± ¡°It is as he says, Your Majesty. So, Lady Lania-¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, did I give you permission to speak?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The several nobles who¡¯d begun to take Lania¡¯s side stilled at Rashid¡¯s chilly gaze. Their mouths froze, and they were unable to even stutter out apologies. ¡°Can you all take responsibility for your words just now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or is this something that Lania, with so many siding with her, should be able to take responsibility for?¡± ¡°Yo-your Majesty! There is no need for any questions of siding or responsibility. I only didn¡¯t want to burden my unwell mother with-¡± ¡°Oh my, as expected, what a thoughtful child you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A voice easily and naturally cut in between the two, and tension gripped the hall once more. Everyone had been so busy with looking at the emperor, that none had realized Catherine had entered. She placed down the basket she had been holding. ¡°If I¡¯d known my eldest daughter was in such a predicament, I would have come sooner to greet everyone.¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 An elegant smile and an aloof stride. I walked deeper into the hall, and though no one had given any order, the crowd of guests parted to make a path for me. As my purple eyes flashed everywhere from behind the black veil I was wearing, exclamations rose up from the guests. Contrasted against the many white and light-colored dresses, my black satin dress, lacking any sort of decorations, drew eyes to it like a dot in the middle of a piece of paper. ¡°Ca¡­Mother, why are you here!¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®why are you here.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t stop worrying and had to come.¡± Relax your expression a little. Is this a place I don¡¯t have access to? I narrowed my eyes at Lania who¡¯d immediately blocked my way. Lania¡¯s eyes shook slightly, unable to withstand the glare through my narrowed eyes and barely managed to recover, crinkling her glaring eyes into a smiling expression. ¡°I was a little surprised. I had thought I was helping you by hosting the celebration instead, since Mother has said in the past that you found it uncomfortable and tiring to take on this role¡­¡± ¡°Until when can I keep burdening my daughter with such heavy obligations.¡± ¡°But will you be okay, after all, this position is by the Emperor¡¯s side.¡± It¡¯s not okay, just get the fuck out of my way already. To say such words with such elegance and grace, she was very talented. But I wouldn¡¯t back down easily, since I¡¯d come here with a purpose. At this time, around thirty beavers were lying on the grass holding their front teeth. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about me. I¡¯m more worried about my eldest daughter.¡± ¡°What would make Mother worry about me-¡± Since you¡¯re unnecessarily standing in my stead as hostess.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± *Grind* Each time I gave her another answer, I could see Lania putting a little more pressure on her teeth. I didn¡¯t miss a single beat and gave friendly greetings to the approaching noblewomen. ¡°My, it looks like you¡¯ve come to help my eldest daughter.¡± ¡°El-eldest daughter, then are you really¡­¡± ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t know who I am. You all spoke very well about my illness and seemed to know much about me, so I assumed that you knew me very well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Haha. We only spoke of you out of worry¡­¡± ¡°If you are worried, feel free to visit me, and I will welcome you at anytime with open arms.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I won¡¯t bite. As long as you guys can keep a muzzle on me. The noblewomen simultaneously gulped as I took a good look at them one by one. Lania looked like she wanted to skin me alive, but she knew exactly who was here. I lightly ignored Lania¡¯s frozen form and bowed deeply to the star of today¡¯s show. ¡°I give my humble greetings to His Excellency, the one blessed by the Supreme Lord Therez. I am Duchess Evendell, surnamed Catherine.¡± I bent my knees in greeting the way Lady Mellow taught me. The pressure shooting out from his eyes alone tickled my forehead. ¡°Rise.¡± ¡°I am honored.¡± So this is the famous tyrant. It felt like time slowed down as I waited for his permission to lift my head. For a cold-blooded villain, his voice had a pleasant pitch and was quite dignified. Like one I¡¯d heard somewhere before¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nah, I¡¯m just imagining things. The moment I looked up and met his eyes, my head was dazed by the unrealistic beauty of the emperor. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have something you want to say to me?¡± ¡°N-no, Your Majesty.¡± Can a villain be this good looking? I had nothing to say except that God must have put superfluous effort into this guy. I didn¡¯t want to act like a country bumpkin who¡¯d drool at the sight of a man¡¯s face, but I was someone who wasn¡¯t even qualified to be a country bumpkin as one who¡¯d turn into a swan every now and then. ¡®Wow, this is.¡¯ After I¡¯d transmigrated, the men I¡¯d always seen consisted of aged workers at the Duke¡¯s Household, so I couldn¡¯t help but compare them to what I was seeing now. Of course, I¡¯d seen other men when I went out to town that time a few days ago, but it was difficult to think of the man in front of me as the same kind of human being as the rest of us. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± Anyway, the glint from his eyes had a lot of pressure coming from them. My heart belatedly pounded as the emperor¡¯s red eyes stared at me. The pressure in his haughty blood red eyes relaxed a bit as if he became interested in something. ¡°So you¡¯re seeing Jihm for the first time?¡± ¡°Of course. When else could I have seen you before.¡± ¡°How interesting. You seemed to look at me as if you knew me.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s entirely impossible, Your Majesty.¡± Unable to hide my confusion, I tried to broaden my smile. I wasn¡¯t stupid, and it was a sin to not remember someone with this much beauty. ¡®But how can I bring Haniel up in a natural way while in conversation with him.¡¯ It would have been difficult to forget my purpose for coming here. They hadn¡¯t publicly announced the princess¡¯s disappearance yet, so I couldn¡¯t even bring up anything about Haniel. I needed to be on the lookout for an opportunity for us to be alone together. I checked to see if there was a window of time I could use to do this, looking at him sideways time to time, but failed. ¡°¡­..¡± It wasn¡¯t just because he was the emperor, but also the presence he had was good enough to be the main character wherever he went. Even as time passed, it was hard to withstand the countless gazes heading towards the person next to me. I guess I can¡¯t do it right now. While I was taking a step back for the moment, his low voice echoed throughout the hall. ¡°What are you all doing? Have you all come to this place just to spectate Jihm.¡± ¡°¡­But we can only begin if Your Majesty begins the dance.¡± ¡°Dance?¡± Hah. His face turned cold as if he was listening to a bunch of nonsense. The handsome guy next to this handsome guy¨C no, I surmised him to be an imperial prince¨C stepped back with resignation on his face. The emperor shook his head in complete annoyance. ¡°Do what you normally do. Whether you dance or wield your swords around, I won¡¯t care about any of it, so just¡­¡± Immediately get your eyes off me. No one could reject the emperor¡¯s short, unspoken command, which seemed to work like a charm. *Fwip,* people turned their heads away at once in natural motions and smoothly segwayed into dancing. It was still unnatural for so many people to now not look only at this place, but at least the gazes were now gone. ¡®¡­Really a tyrant.¡¯ Despite feeling disconcerted, I also felt admiration rise. I thought Lania and Rebecca were the typical boring villainess characters, but this tyrant seemed a little different from the others. I couldn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t able to be the main character of the novel with that appearance, but I could roughly guess how he¡¯d come to earn an infamous reputation. ¡®It¡¯s that terrible temper.¡¯ So it¡¯s obvious why his younger sibling ran away. As I remembered the frightened, shivering Haniel, I continued to keep my guard up against this man. Fortunate or not, I wasn¡¯t the only one who showed interest in him. ¡°Your Majesty, the crowded hall must seem a bit stifling.¡± ¡°Lady.¡± ¡°I deeply apologize that I was not able to properly serve you when you have graced us with your presence. Would you like to go outside for a moment to avoid the eyes of other people?¡± Always looking for an opportunity, Lania naturally slid in next to him. She spoke eloquently, as if she¡¯d prepared her words in advance for such situations. ¡°Though it¡¯s rather conceited for me to say, the late Empress admired the scenery and walkways around this area. I also believe the newly-constructed gymnasium and stables are worth looking at. We also acquired a new white stallion from the Levante Palace, if Your Majesty likes the sound of it, we can escort you to the stables for you to ride the horse¡­would you like to go together? ¡°With who?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lania¡¯s smile faltered at the emperor¡¯s inquiring yet indifferent set of eyes. ¡°Of course, as the eldest daughter of the Evendell family, I will escort you¡­¡± ¡°I believe the head of this household is your stepmother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Oh my, to think that I would receive the support of the tyrant in my lifetime. *Taptap.* I slowly started to smooth out my dress, my movements relaxed. Knowing my eldest daughter, I could guess that my turn was coming up. Three, two, one¡­. ¡°That may be so, but my mother still has not greeted the guests. Isn¡¯t that right, Mother?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± See, what¡¯d I tell you. Smoothing out the creases in my dress, I looked at her with a bright, innocent face. Though I¡¯d purposefully drawn the emperor¡¯s gaze towards me, I lifted a hand to my mouth with a confused expression. ¡°Ah, are you asking me, Duchess Evendell, if I wanted to be the escort?¡± ¡°As I thought, that would be tiring for you, no? You¡¯ve been confining yourself and have hardly been outside. You wouldn¡¯t know the places I had just mentioned-¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. How could I possibly know a place like the gymnasium or the stables.¡± ¡°See that, Your Excellency! Mother-¡± ¡°¡­I know only about the Palladium Lake.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Lania¡¯s brightly smiling face cracked. Before she could open her mouth again, I quickly lowered my head in a shy manner. ¡°It¡¯s merely the only place in Rohan that is home to the big-beaked birds, white swans from Ingka, tortoises the size of that chandelier, and the legendary lenox with its seven-colored fur.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± And one of your siblings lives there, too. As I looked at the emperor through my veil, his face morphed into a funny expression. He seemed to be holding back his laughter, but before I could take a proper look, he resumed that polite expression of his. ¡°Hm, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± ¡°¡­The late empress expressed how much she liked the lake as well.¡± The noble eyes that neared me with his approaching step traveled down from my face. Just where are you looking. His red-eyed gaze descended until they became fixed on my shoulders, and my head followed his gaze. But before I could ask what he was looking at, he suddenly lifted his hand toward me. ¡°Oh, oh my,¡± Save me! ¡­I then opened the eyes that I¡¯d tightly closed. Seriously, I thought that I was already being cut down! Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t holding a sword, though he was holding onto something else that seemed to have come from off my shoulders. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± When did these get on me. He looked at me strangely as he held the small bits of what appeared to be wood shavings the beavers had gnawed off, in his palm. Hah! Unlike Lania, who smirked at me with a knowing smile, the emperor¡¯s expression slightly shifted. ¡°The Duchess must really have a lot to show me.¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± Are you being sarcastic or what. His blood red eyes were unfathomable, but honestly, I didn¡¯t want to know what he was thinking, at all. All I needed to do was to hold onto him for a moment and hand Haniel over. In other words, I just needed to close my eyes tightly and be shameless for a day. ¡°Of course. After spending time in the vast world of nature, you¡¯d discover phenomena that are both mysterious and mind-blowing. I am certain that Your Majesty will not regret visiting the lake.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t end up feeling that way?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Well. I hadn¡¯t thought about that, so. Since I¡¯d kept my mouth shut and smiled a beat late, I must have looked stupid. But I couldn¡¯t help feeling it was ironic with the emperor looking extremely satisfied with himself, a smug expression on his face. ¡°¡­Alright then. Let¡¯s do it based on what I decide.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡°You! What exactly are you up to?¡± Bam. As soon as the door of the study closed, Lania wildly pointed her finger at me, pushing me towards the fireplace in the room. Right after the emperor and his brothers went into the smoking salon, she¡¯d grabbed me, trembling with fury, and dragged me away. ¡°How dare you, where do you think this place is! Tell me immediately!¡± ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re going to wrinkle my dress. I don¡¯t have many of these.¡± ¡°Catherine!¡± Lania¡¯s voice rose to a higher pitch as I straightened my dress with a sigh. Hopefully her voice would be covered by the loud music in the banquet hall downstairs. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be better to lower your voice a little? Though, of course, it doesn¡¯t matter to me either way.¡± ¡°I told you to tell me what you¡¯re planning. Don¡¯t you know who he is, how dare you speak to him!¡± ¡°What do you mean? He¡¯s the emperor.¡± And also our little cygnet¡¯s older brother. The me who¡¯d suffered to the point of getting my veil pushed aside smiled with my eyes. Lania¡¯s face obviously got darker at that. ¡°¡­Catherine, there¡¯s nothing good that can come from doing this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for you as well, though?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry that I¡¯ll say something I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯m not planning on saying anything about the curse anyway.¡± ¡°Curse? Hah, so you were using that to do all this?¡± In contrast to her wry smile, the incredulous expression in her glistening eyes showed that she thought what I said was ridiculous. ¡°I¡¯ve told you since the beginning, there¡¯s no point in you telling anyone. Whatever you say, you¡¯re already the Witch of the North. Who would believe the likes of you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You stupid thing. You should know that other than you, no one else can return to being a human. You think that counts as evidence? No matter how much you hold onto the cursed ones and deny the rumors, you¡¯ll still be a witch. No, you¡¯ll become a witch who¡¯s lost her mind!¡± Seeming to be satisfied at the thought, Lania¡¯s lip twisted upwards even more. Approaching me step by step, her blackish red shadow fluttered up to the fireplace. ¡°Think about it. You¡¯d be blabbering without a shred of evidence¡­¡± ¡°Why do I need evidence? My body is proof.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°As you said, who would believe me? I¡¯m a nobody who came from a fallen noble family that sold off their own daughter.¡± Before Lania could walk up to me face to face, I extended a foot forward. Though I couldn¡¯t see a mirror, I knew that my mocking face didn¡¯t lose to Lania¡¯s. ¡°Thanks to a certain someone, it seems I¡¯ve become an evil witch who devoured her own husband, so who would believe me.¡± ¡°¡­You know that, so then why.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± ¡°Because I have nothing to lose.¡± Our shadows mingled for an instant as we stood across from each other. Turns out, I was even taller than her. Lania closed her eyes as she lowered her head. ¡°Trying wouldn¡¯t hurt. All the evil in the North is going to be blamed on me anyway, so why would I care about the repercussions? It¡¯ll just be like throwing a mere match into the fireball of hell.¡± ¡°Catherine, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve put your faith in to act like this but there¡¯s a limit to calling your antics cute and letting things slide. No matter what you do, you¡¯ll still be in the palm of my hand. Don¡¯t overestimate yourself. No matter what lengths you go to, I can deal with whatever you have planned. And nothing will change for me if a witch dies.¡± ¡°What do you mean nothing will change? At the least, you won¡¯t be able to become the empress.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Lania¡¯s expression, which hadn¡¯t lost its haughty demeanor this whole time, now sharply shook. She wasn¡¯t able to control herself as her grip on my arm tightened. ¡°Speak clearly! What did you hear from others!¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t something you have to hear from other people to know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The reason for a lady like yourself, who could get married tomorrow if she so much as extended her finger, to postpone her marriage for so long by using a widow like me¡­is what I wondered about.¡± To be honest, I thought something was weird from the start. For a person like Lania, who had money, power, and a noble title, to still be single, there were only two possible reasons. Either she hated men in general, or there was a bridegroom she already had in mind and needed time to marry. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I know this sooner.¡¯ Up till now, I hated even thinking about Lania, and there were very few occasions for us to meet. But after the female protagonist Haniel was thrust into my life, this all became a different story. To be precise, I got a hint of this the day when I saw her brightened face as she stared across the lit Winter Palace. ¡°¡­¡± Eyes that seemed to be dreaming of something, cheeks flushed red. Well, isn¡¯t that the very facial expression of a fan when their favorite idol¡¯s show is broadcasted. To think I could see such an expression on a person like Lania, I certainly lived a long life. But a rival was still a rival, so, just to be sure, I went to Lady Melloe. ¡¸What does Your Ladyship wish to ask me about?¡¹ ¡°I¡¯m curious as to why His Majesty the Emperor has yet to be married. And I wonder if there are other rules or steps involved.¡± ¡¸We are still honoring the national mourning period for the late Emperor and Empress. It is customary for royal weddings and all such national occasions to be prohibited for 3 years, especially for the emperor. That¡¯s why the Emperor¡¯s younger siblings married first instead. Of course, the mourning period is almost over now¡­but why is Your Ladyship smiling like that?¡¹ What do you mean why. I just realized that luck exists for me, too. I thought this life was doomed from the start, but it seems that it wasn¡¯t really the case. Of course, Lania still held my lifeline in her hands, but at least one thing had changed. ¡°You don¡¯t know what that means? If I¡¯m a witch, that means you¡¯re a witch¡¯s daughter, Lania.¡± Now I knew this bitch had a weakness. ¡°Sure, known for being a witch from planted rumors is different from actually being a witch. But would it be proper for the daughter of a witch, who suddenly died a tragic death, to join the royal family?¡± ¡°Catherine!¡± ¡°Lower your voice.¡± *Shhh.* She loosened her tight grip and I pulled my arm away. I gently pushed on her shoulder with a slightly trembling finger. ¡°We know enough about each other, so we should consider each other¡¯s perspectives at this point.¡± ¡°¡­What do you want to say.¡± ¡°I surprisingly have no qualms with the way I¡¯m living right now, so you just need to fulfill your ambitions as best as you can. I have no interest in ruining your plans like you fear, so stop pushing and picking fights with people. I can understand that you¡¯re afraid of being backstabbed, as long as you don¡¯t bother me, we can live peacefully together. Our eldest daughter only needs to continue sticking to her bridal lessons, and nothing else, is all I¡¯m saying.¡± Deal? Beaming, I fixed a ribbon where my finger had been on Lania¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So would the eldest daughter please get out of my way? Before my feathers fly out in front of the Emperor.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó As I took a step outside, the air was fresher than I could ever imagine. I didn¡¯t particularly approve of people exploiting their opponent¡¯s weakness, using it to threaten them, but doing it myself made me feel as sweet as honey. ¡®That¡¯s why you should have been a little more lenient with me.¡¯ Thinking about Lania, who couldn¡¯t even say a word as her eyes quivered with raging flames, made my originally stuffy heart thump with excitement. But I couldn¡¯t stay drunk on these feelings. Though I felt victorious for that one moment, I couldn¡¯t forget the fact that I hadn¡¯t decisively won the whole war. In other words, if I didn¡¯t want to get strangled acting like a know-it-all, I had to tread carefully. Lania wasn¡¯t your average villainess. She wasn¡¯t the type of woman to stay trembling for long. ¡®Well, who cares. Anyway, I just have to return Haniel and my duties for today are done.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± As soon as I saw the sunset¡¯s glow start to reflect off the lake, my mind jolted awake and rippled like the surface of water. It¡¯s really time to say goodbye. Seeing that was my first thought instead of fear of facing the tyrant Emperor alone, it seemed that my mind was set. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 ¡¸You¡¯ve returned, your Ladyship?¡¹ ¡°Selene.¡± Selene, who had been nervously standing in the field of reeds, greeted me. She¡¯d exited the lake area with me on the path that the beavers had drilled for us, and had been waiting for my return while guarding Haniel. ¡¸You didn¡¯t come out for such a long time, I thought you¡¯d already been cut open with a sword.¡¹ ¡°¡­The way you say things, seriously.¡± Maybe because she was an animal, she didn¡¯t have the slightest speck of loyalty or consciousness for me at times. Well, what did I expect? These were times when one lived day-to-day just trying to survive. And I didn¡¯t have the heart to scold her, as all of my concerns were directed towards the basket that lay next to her. ¡°What about the baby? She didn¡¯t cry from feeling trapped or anything? ¡¸You know she¡¯s not a kid who¡¯d complain. No matter how much I try to talk to her, she won¡¯t even say one word in reply. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± As soon as I opened the reed-woven basket, the tip of my nose soured. My throat closed up as I looked at Haniel, who had fallen asleep while I was gone. ¡°¡­Selene, you can go back for now.¡± ¡¸But, Your Ladyship, will you really be alright on your own?¡¹ ¡°Don¡¯t pretend as if you¡¯ve ever sincerely wanted to help. If not for the fish jerky, you would pretend you couldn¡¯t even hear me.¡± ¡¸My! How could you say such things¡­¡¹ I chased Selene away with the harsh words I¡¯d said on purpose. After seeing her grumbling figure disappear, I carefully stretched out my arms. ¡°¡­Eum.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but hold her. Or else I might really break out in tears. I gripped Haniel close to me and forced my pounding chest to settle down. I¡¯d practiced saying goodbye so many times, but with the child in my arms now, it was hard to stay calm. Fluffy feathers and a black beak. And the cutest tail. ¡°¡­Child.¡± My nose kept tingling as I tried to tell her that she was going back to her home. I strained my eyes to stop the tears and brushed Haniel¡¯s head with a finger. ¡°Ugh.¡± Why is it so soft! How is she going to survive in the rough world with this kind of a small body! As I kept swallowing my saliva and holding back my tears, I took out a ribbon that I¡¯d been holding onto. It was the only red fabric that I could find in the duchess¡¯s closet filled with black and more black clothes. ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m sorry. That I can only give this to you. I lifted her small head and wrapped the ribbon around her white feathers. As soon as I tied the ribbon into a bow behind her head, I was glad I hadn¡¯t fastened it on her earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s see, our little princess.¡± Why is she so pretty. The red ribbon glistened over her clean, white feathers, and I almost forgot how to breathe. If I had seen this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to let you go this easily. Ignoring my blurred vision, I lifted up Haniel again. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Her fluffy feathers brushed against my cheek. I held her tightly as my last greedy wish, but this was it, no more. When the emperor returns and Haniel opens her eyes and sees him, there¡¯d be no turning back. No, since the time I¡¯d called the tyrant over here, I¡¯d already made my decision. Even though Haniel is in a pitiful situation. Even though she¡¯s the cutest baby swan in the world, and even though she follows after me calling ¡°Mommy Mommy,¡± fulfilling my one and only wish to have a child, I could no longer be this child¡¯s mother¡­ ¡°Ch-child?¡± ¡¸¡­¡¹ As I lowered my head again, all thoughts in my mind stopped. When had she woken up? Haniel lifted her head and I made eye contact with her red eyes, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. ¡°Wh-what are you doing?¡± *Lick.* Haniel¡¯s pink tongue swept my fingers. And not just my fingers. It was right at the place that had gotten injured when I¡¯d fallen onto the wooden floor because Lania pushed me. ¡°¡­Haniel.¡± I knew better than anyone not to open my heart to anyone but even though I knew this, I had to ask. Haniel had desperately started licking my wound as soon as she¡¯d woken up. ¡°Child, what are you doing.¡± ¡¸¡­Mwommy, pain, pain go away. The tweacher said to do thish like thish if it hurts. ¡¹ *Sob* I give up. In the end, the tears I¡¯d tried to hold back came streaming down. I hugged her white body and buried my head in my hands as I sank to the ground. ¡°Heu-eu-euk. Mommy was wrong, boohoo. ¡° ¡¸Mommwy hurt? Dwoes it hwurt? Even if I do thish it still hwurts?¡¹ ¡°Mm, no, it doesn¡¯t hurt. I won¡¯t throw you away, my little baby. Mommy will be good to you. I won¡¯t do that ever again.¡± Forgive your cold-hearted mother. I let go of everything as I continued to sob. Alright. Since I have an unfortunate life already, let¡¯s just try to be a good mom for a day. Haniel seemed frightened at my crumpled face as she raised her head without knowing what was going on. ¡¸Bwek Swan-ning?¡¹ ¡°Heu-euk.¡± ¡¸Ah, I, I can¡¯t call you Mommwy! It¡¯s Bwek Swan-ning! I, I won¡¯t do it, I won¡¯t call you Mommwy, pwomise!¡¹ ¡°No. It¡¯s Mommy. Mommy¡¯s right. Heu-euk.¡± After letting go of everything, I didn¡¯t have the energy to stand up. Mommy will raise you well. Even if I can¡¯t raise you as a princess, I¡¯ll raise you to be the happiest baby swan in the world. Promise. ¡°Look at Mommy. My pretty baby.¡± ¡¸¡­Mwommyyy? ¡¹ ¡°Mmhm. Mommy¡¯s here. I¡¯m your Mommy.¡± With this, everything had been clearly decided, what more could I wish for in this life? My cheeks started bloating a little as my tears continued to flow. ¡°¡­Mommy¡¯s sorry. Heu-eu-euk. How could I think of doing that!¡± I held Haniel close to me, as much as I felt my breath squeezed out of me, and rubbed our cheeks against each other. I couldn¡¯t even feel the reeds that were poking my sides. With a fierce cry, all the tension in my body was relieved and my mind became blank as I forgot everything in that moment. ¡°My child!¡± Including the person I was supposed to meet. ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡°¡­It, it¡¯ll be good if we don¡¯t approach, Your Majesty.¡± The shadows of three men appeared without a trace in the dark. But the hierarchy among the three figures was clear. The two shadows on the side were clearly perplexed as they looked to the larger shadow standing in the middle. ¡°¡­It just doesn¡¯t seem like the right meeting place.¡± ¡°How impudent, Tenon. I told you to watch your words and actions in front of His Majesty.¡± Peyton strongly scolded Tenon, who had spoken with a puzzled look. However, he also didn¡¯t know how to explain the scene in front of him. ¡°Hm. Though we can¡¯t be certain, they must have their own circumstances.¡± ¡°¡­Circumstances?¡± Rashid¡¯s eyes were filled with cynicism as he pointed to the field of reeds at the front of the lake. The three brothers¡¯ faces became solemn as they looked at the woman lying on the ground with a baby swan in her arms and sobbing. ¡°Well, fine, she should at least have circumstances. What is she going to do if she doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At his eldest brother¡¯s subtle words, the fourth prince Tenon didn¡¯t know what to say and looked to his two brothers. Whether there was or wasn¡¯t a circumstance, the emperor couldn¡¯t stay waiting forever. ¡°Since we can¡¯t leave the Duchess alone, then how about Your Majesty approaches her¡­¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why should I. Tenon bit his lips as his older brother¡¯s strong refusal. He¡¯d thought his older brother had been hesitating to do so, but perhaps he¡¯d been mistaken. There was no way that his brother, who, even in front of hundreds of thousands of troops, would smile as he pulled out his sword, would be hesitating. What a disaster. Peyton, who was becoming confused as time went on, had no choice but to gesture towards the duchess. ¡°Then I will quickly call over Lady Lania over here. If, if this is also a family matter then the situation needs to be cleared¡­¡± ¡°Not that either.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Rashid turned around, raising a hand to Peyton¡¯s words. The signal to stop and return. No one noticed as the sides of his mouth slightly bent downwards. ¡°At least it was true that she had a lot to show.¡± ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó ¡¸Your Ladyship! What happened!¡¹ ¡¸Shhh, quiet. The baby¡¯s sleeping. ¡¹ I gestured to Selene, who was waiting at the manor door, as if telling her to be careful. But my face was filled with a smile filled with joy that was out of this world to the point that my mouth started aching. ¡¸How, how could you just bring her in like this! Didn¡¯t you say her brother was looking for her?¡¹ ¡¸Uhh, about that¡­¡¹ My mind snapped back into focus as Selene saw Haniel. Honestly, I had worried about what to say if she asked, but I had made up an answer. ¡¸I waited at the place we were supposed to meet, but they didn¡¯t show up, so..¡¹ ¡¸¡­Really?¡¹ ¡¸Mmhm. What did I expect from the people who kicked her out.¡¹ Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Though I stretched her neck with an arrogant air, I could feel the cold sweat between the feathers of my wings. I hadn¡¯t only decided to keep Haniel in a ¡°fit of anger,¡± but since I only had one life remaining I couldn¡¯t help but get cold feet about my decision. ¡¸You see, Selene-¡¹ ¡¸Please don¡¯t speak like that, Your Ladyship. It¡¯s like you¡¯re trying to make me an accomplice to something.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Maybe it¡¯s a good thing that you got off with just a transformation curse.¡¹ Because if you hadn¡¯t, you would¡¯ve gotten your throat slit with those comments of yours. I said the bitter words to the ever-sensible and ever-aware Selene. But I couldn¡¯t raise a baby swan by myself. I was the mother, but she needed a nanny! Duh! I¡¯ve never seen a princess in a storybook with a nanny. A nanny was easy-going but warm-hearted, ready to die for the princess with her own life at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡¸¡­Your Ladyship, why are you looking at me with that weirdly fond look.¡¹ ¡¸Selene, I¡¯m going to say something now, so try not to be too surprised.¡¹ *Tap Tap.* As I saw her already trying to sneak away, I extended my wings wide. I was giving her a really nice smile, but we both knew that for a mallard duck, running smack into a black swan¡¯s wings had a huge risk for injury. ¡¸Wh-what is it, Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡¸You probably were wondering about this too. Why our cygnet has a bearing superior to all the others.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ Though her face said that she wasn¡¯t really curious, her instinct for survival was excellent. Knowing that if she said no she¡¯d get hid by a wing, she cheaply gave in, quickly nodding her head like a robot. ¡¸Y-yes, o-of course. Of course I¡¯m curious.¡¹ ¡¸And you probably wondered why I kept doing everything I could to find her guardian, didn¡¯t you?¡¹ And why would I have needed to look for the guardian of such a cute and pretty child! I turned the basket so Selene could get a good look at the sleeping Haniel with the ribbon. ¡¸Honestly, I was going to do that until today. After all, when I heard that her brother was here, I even went to the welcome party to find him. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to raise her, but that I didn¡¯t even dare to think that I could.¡¹ ¡¸Wait, Your Ladyship, just wait a second-¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I never meant to tell you. What good would it be for the child to have rumors flying around about her.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Th-then it¡¯ll be good for you to not say it. You know me. I¡¯ll probably gossip about it here and there-¡¹ ¡¸Even though her brother¡¯s the emperor?¡¹ ¡¸¡­ ¡¹ I¡¯d expected her to be surprised to a certain extent. But I didn¡¯t expect her to harden like a piece of ice like they do in cartoons. ¡¸Keu-uhhhhhhhhk!¡¹ ¡¸Selene! ¡¹ Just as all the blood seemed to drain from her, Selene made an ugly sound and then started running away. Even if the manor was lit on fire, she¡¯d be running slower than she was now. I watched as she then tripped and fell, rolling down in the mud, until she reached the lake and buried her head in the water. ¡¸Selene, what are you doing! You¡¯re not even a pheasant!¡¹ ¡¸Blurgh! I just want to pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything. I heard nothing, alright! Nothing! I would never know such a matter-¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean? That Haniel is Rohan¡¯s one and only princess?¡¹ ¡¸Ku-huk!¡¹ The head that had peeked out went right back into the water. I can see your body floating in the water, just where do you think you¡¯ve successfully run off to. Instead of trying to persuade her, I only kept watch until Selene had to raise her head, water dripping everywhere. ¡¸How is this even possible, Your Ladyship! There¡¯s no way!¡¹ ¡¸But Selene, didn¡¯t you know about this already?¡¹ ¡¸W-what did I know!¡¹ ¡¸If you really believed what I was saying was a lie, you wouldn¡¯t need to plunge your head into the water like that.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ Yeah, that¡¯s right. I picked off a leaf stuck on top of Selene¡¯s dumbfounded head. She was alarmed even when the Emperor¡¯s name was casually brought up, so I understood her shocked reaction to Haniel being the Emperor¡¯s sister. ¡¸I-I can¡¯t do this anymore¡­but how did Your Ladyship find out about this? Did the child¡­no, the princess, tell you herself?¡¹ ¡¸No. She¡¯s still a baby. She probably doesn¡¯t know anything specific like that.¡¹ I glossed over the complicated details, speaking vaguely. Even if I¡¯d half-forced her to trust me, I couldn¡¯t tell Selene about the truth of my transmigration. Even if she was compelled to believe me, in reality, if I¡¯d told her about how I¡¯d swapped bodies or read about her in a book, she would have a harder time believing that Haniel was a princess. ¡¸Should I say it¡¯s just a kind of destiny. The heavens are the ones to decide who¡¯s the parents of which children.¡¹ ¡¸Why is Your Ladyship the Princess¡¯s parent? The child has white feathers and Your Ladyship¡¯s are black!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, Selene. Have you ever heard of the saying that if your eyeballs burst, you¡¯ll become colorblind?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hiccup.¡¹ I put my beak right up to her eyeball as I spoke, so my words had a pretty big impact. The hiccuping Selene tried to laugh, but she was really shaken up. Anyway this must have been how our Haniel felt. I have black feathers, you have white feathers! No wonder Haniel looked at me so sadly whenever I treated her coldly. It was enough to make my eyes start to sting. ¡¸Um, Selene. You see, I-¡¹ ¡¸Your Ladyship, if you cry on top of everything else you¡¯ve done today, I really won¡¯t be able to handle it. Please don¡¯t.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­Uh, alright then, back to what we were talking about.¡¹ Hear me out. Selene seriously listened to what the situation was roughly like. I skipped the most sensitive parts, like who had cast Haniel¡¯s curse and what would happen in the future, and tried to relate the story as close to the truth as possible. ¡¸Hooh. ¡¹ Though she sighed deeply, the fact that she wasn¡¯t screaming her head off like she was at the beginning told me that Selene now understood the severity of the situation. ¡¸¡­To be honest, though I¡¯m saying this now so it¡¯s in hindsight, I always thought she was different from the others.¡¹ ¡¸Mmhm.¡¹ She even glammed up her previous statements that used to mean something like, ¡®the child is a little slow,¡¯ so they sounded like glorious praises of the princess instead. But Selene still seemed at a loss and stuck her beak out as she spoke. ¡¸Even if that was the case¡­please return her, alright? You meant to give her back in the beginning! You were so set on that, why are you like this now.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I met her brother. But¡­¡¹ Nope. He fails as a guardian. I shuddered thinking of the Emperor¡¯s red eyes I¡¯d seen just a short while ago. Whenever I thought of him, I felt nauseous and as if my stomach dropped. It was like entrusting a baby chick to a lion. The only he had in common with Haniel was in that god-like appearance of their family. It was pointless to even try explaining what he was like to a person who¡¯d never seen his face before. ¡¸Anyways, I can¡¯t do it. If she was so happy, why would she have ran away. You¡¯ve suffered because of Lania, you should know how hard it is to live under like that.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, but¡­ah, I can¡¯t do this, not me.¡¹ After appearing to ponder for a long time, a bewildered Selene finally shook her head hastily. Sympathy is sympathy and life is life, and I could see how hard she was trying not to look at Haniel. ¡¸Your Ladyship also knows but I just finished adapting to life in this lake. I have no intention of leaving. And I don¡¯t want to become a worm. But out of consideration for your efforts, I won¡¯t spread the news. Then, considering the circumstances this time¡­¡­.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Twenty carps (??) a month.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ *Halt.* The waddling mallard duck¡¯s shoulders tensed. ¡¸T-twenty carps?¡¹ ¡¸That and ten more small carps too (??).¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ My voice was haughty as I tried to grab her attention. I had to make it seem like she was getting a good deal in this negotiation, like how the big companies do during the annual salary negotiations. ¡¸Fine if you don¡¯t want to. If it¡¯s this kind of a deal, there¡¯s a bunch of other people who¡¯d take the offer¡­Now, then I¡¯m going to go and ask Baroness Hamilton-¡¹ ¡¸N-no! When did I ever say I wasn¡¯t going to do it?¡¹ Well that was fast. Selene begin walking quicker as she returned back to me. Just looking at her face, both of her cheeks were puffed up as if she was already imagining how many carps she could fit in her mouth. ¡¸Baroness Hamilton is a quail. Our princess will grow quickly, how could she take care of the princess with the small body of a quail? No way. You must think of the princess¡¯s future, Your Ladyship.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Alright?¡¹ ¡¸I will now go look for a suitable blanket for the princess.¡¹ ¡¸Do as you wish.¡¹ Though I had been thinking of offering as much as fifty carps, well. I giggled as I watched Selene hurriedly waddling along. But she probably accepted my request not only because she was enamored by the promise of food. In truth, there was no other person in the lake who knew about bullying incidents and other hardships better than Selene. ¡¸You made a good decision.¡¹ I patted Selene¡¯s back as she stalked back with a pale expression that showed she already regretted agreeing to this. ¡¸This incident is a secret going forward as well. The lake inhabitants will probably think I took her in, but her identity should never be discovered. Though the chances are slim that this will happen, but if this news reaches Lania¡¯s ears we¡¯re all finished. Got it? ¡¸¡­I already feel like I¡¯m doomed¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh dear, Selene.¡¹ What kind of irresponsible talk is that. Well, there was no better cure for such fears than seeing a child¡¯s recently awoken face. And just then, the child woke up. Before Selene could go back on her word, I grabbed her neck and pushed her in front of Haniel¡¯s bright eyes. ¡¸Child, I¡¯ve caught a nanny for you~¡¹ ¡ó ¡ô ¡ó Looking down at the Winter Lake from the window, the expression in Rashid¡¯s eyes was as dark as the winter season. He looked down, as still as a frozen statue, with his hands clasped behind his back. That statue then turned around and glared at the kneeling viscount trembling before him. ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± ¡°How long has it been since the Dion family was manager of this place?¡± ¡°Our household was given the task of taking care of the Winter Palace since it was built, so it must be since over 200 years ago at the very least, Your Excellency.¡° ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that was enough time for you to at least figure out who your master is, isn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Rashid¡¯s meaningful laughter, caretaker Viscount Dion lowered his head. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Though he didn¡¯t fully understand what the emperor was getting at, Viscount Dion knew that he had to say something. If he wanted to survive, that is. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. I will only do as you command.¡± ¡°How long has it been since Lady Lania took over the Northern Lands?¡± ¡°She has been ruling the region ever since the late Duke became ill and was on his deathbed. The Northern Lands, unlike the other regions, is highly dependent on having a leader, since it is isolated from the rest of the empire.¡± ¡°And just what does that stepmother do?¡± ¡°The Duchess¡­Ehem.¡± Viscount Dion gave a cough at the mention of the duchess. Though he was supposed to answer the emperor¡¯s questions, it was hard to answer such a question without feeling awkward. ¡°If she married someone her father¡¯s age, she must be extremely ambitious, no?¡± ¡°Well, you see¡­she doesn¡¯t come from a good background. But her social standing simply isn¡¯t high enough to control the proud high nobles of the region. It is not enough for the more conservative and orthodox families. ¡°How low is her status for it to be like that?¡± ¡°Though I do not wish to speak badly of another, the Duchess¡¯s family barely meets the standards of a lower noble household. Her father, the baron, is a drunkard and has several wives. It is unclear who the Duchess¡¯s mother is and whether or not she has siblings. ¡°¡­And so that¡¯s why her condition is like that, I see.¡± T/N: he¡¯s probably talking about how he saw her crying. Lol¡­she was crying over your sister, you idiot. xD ¡°What was that, sir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Rashid held up a hand dismissively, as if he hadn¡¯t said anything important. Shortly following, the viscount, who had been watching the arrogant emperor¡¯s every movement, continued his explanation. ¡°Anyhow, since the Duchess¡¯s standing isn¡¯t very good, it was difficult for her to gain power and position.¡± ¡°That probably isn¡¯t the whole story though?¡± Rashid¡¯s red eyes glinted sharply. ¡°Technically speaking, the Duchess should have the most legitimacy for the position. Just because this is the Northern Lands, those stupid things wouldn¡¯t determine the leader based on one¡¯s past and heritage.¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± ¡°So tell me. What are the other rumors of the Duchess to explain reasons for her disqualification.¡± The emperor had cleanly grasped the crux of the situation. Viscount Dion took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat. The information he was about to say fell into the jaw-dropping category. ¡°Th-that the Duchess is in fact¡­of witch descent.¡± ¡°I know that. What else.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the rumor that she¡¯s mentally unstable. And even¡­that the Duchess caused the late Duke¡¯s death¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Even after hearing rumors that would leave anyone else shocked and surprised, the emperor was left completely unfazed. Rashid covered his mouth in displeasure as the viscount stood dazed eyes, completely unsure of how to continue. ¡°Nothing like, say¡­that she went insane after losing a child.¡± ¡°A child?¡± ¡°She was unable to forget her child that died right after childbirth and thus became like so, or a rumor of that kind.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s impossible!¡± As the viscount roared with laughter, the hot-blooded Tenon looked at him with indignation. How dare he in front of the honorable Emperor! Rashid stopped Tenon as his younger brother began pulling out his sword. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re telling me, it¡¯s not true?¡± He even looked as if he wasn¡¯t upset. ¡°That woman has never had a child before?¡± ¡°Indeed. It is said that the late Duke passed on as soon as they were wed. It¡¯s also very unlikely that he and his wife were even able to greet each other properly.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Forget about a bad mood, he even looked like he was smiling with one end of his mouth curling upwards. But even after wearing a happy expression he wasn¡¯t aware of, Rashid then furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Then why was she in such a state¡­¡± He looked like he thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to answer the question no matter how long he thought about it. The viscount who had been racking his brain to add anything to his words, added his opinion into the mix in a crude manner. ¡°To be honest, most people are probably not even aware of the Duchess¡¯s existence. Since the late Duke passed away as soon as they were married, she rarely showed her face to the public. It¡¯s true that there are rumors revolving here and there, but unless Lady Lania opens up the discussion, there isn¡¯t anyone here who would dare to ask about the matter to the Duke¡¯s Household.¡± ¡°The lady¡¯s reputation must have improved while those suspicions remained.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to answer with a negative, the viscount could only respond with a smile. One book wasn¡¯t enough to contain the rumors on Duchess Catherine. And yet she remained in the Evendell Household, yet to be ousted, and the de-facto heir, Lady Lania, remained silent on the matter instead of fanning the flames. A wise and generous princess. From that moment on, there had been a growing appreciation for her in the public¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, the lady¡¯s reputation is impeccable, really. Your Majesty must have also noticed this at the welcoming, but the lady had much poise and no qualms as the hostess.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true.¡± With his eyes lowered, Rashid responded indifferently. The red glare that fell on his fingers seemed to be able to sharply pierce everything. The keen eyes turned to the viscount, who began to speak loudly. ¡°Uhhh, Your Majesty. Do you have any further questions to ask?¡± ¡°Who is your master?¡± ¡°¡­Tha-that is of course the one who has received the blessing of the God, Your Honorable Excellency the Emperor.¡± He stuttered as he answered the question and instinctively kneeled. Rashid¡¯s eyes narrowed as if he were satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s good that you haven¡¯t forgotten.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Since I won¡¯t have to cut someone¡¯s stomach as a reminder of who did and is doing the grunt work so that you¡¯re all able to live and eat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Get out. Rashid lifted his chin along with the friendly warning, and the viscount withdrew from the room, cold sweat dripping from him. As if enjoying the moment of silence, Rashid smiled and crossed his legs. ¡°If you don¡¯t instruct the dogs like this every once in a while, it¡¯s easy for them to forget their owner, who keeps them on a loose leash.¡± ¡°But Your Majesty, I do not think the viscount was lying.¡± ¡°Sure, maybe for now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whether what he is said is true for now but not true later, one has to take responsibility for their words when telling Jihm.¡± He looked at Peyton as he began to approach him. ¡°An emperor¡¯s servant being stupid is no different from treason.¡± ¡°Was there perhaps something in what he said that bothered Your Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That woman is a witch who harms children?¡± I don¡¯t think so. Murmuring as if to himself, Rashid shook his head and got up from his seat. As he returned to his spacious desk and picked up a quill pen, Tenon approached him as well. ¡°Well, if we think about what we saw at the town, she certainly didn¡¯t look like she was going to do anything to the children. In fact, to do that she was just too beaut¡­I mean, what I meant was-¡± (Tenon) ¡°Sure, she¡¯s not a witch who would get rid of children.¡± (Rashid) ¡°¡­¡± (Tenon) ¡°Though she could still be a witch.¡± (Rashid) Rashid put down his pen, folded the letter he¡¯d written, and slid it into a black envelope. He then poured wax and stamped it with the emperor¡¯s seal on top, pointing a finger at Peyton. ¡°I could find out if I just asked her in person.¡± ¡°Your Majesty personally wants to ask her?¡± Peyton and Tenon looked up at Rashid in shock. They became more confused as they thought about all the previous occurrences when the emperor questioned someone¡¯s motives. ¡°Whatever, just cut them down.¡± He never listened to their explanation properly. In fact, the longer the excuse, the faster Rashid pulled out his sword. ¡°¡­¡± They didn¡¯t know why the emperor wanted to solve his doubts personally like this. Nevertheless, the emperor¡¯s instincts had never been wrong before. The late empress used to joke that even if Rashid had been born a beast, he would have been able to become king. She didn¡¯t make fun of him for nothing. ¡°But Your Majesty, there is no need for you to waste your energy on this matter. Since there is also the issue with Haniel at hand, why don¡¯t I meet with the Duchess in Your Majesty¡¯s stead.¡± ¡°No.¡± He seemed louder than necessary as he voiced his rejection. Seeing Tenon flinch, Rashid belatedly swept a hand through his hair as if frustrated. ¡°Maybe my doubts are unfounded. But if she¡¯s a witch that really preys on children, she might have something to do with Haniel¡¯s matter.¡± ¡°But you just said that the Duchess doesn¡¯t seem like that sort of person¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shut it. Rashid¡¯s powerful aura swept past the two brothers. It told them that though they couldn¡¯t be exactly sure what the Duchess¡¯s matter was about, it didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to keep refuting Rashid any longer. ¡°As you know, there are many noblemen in the North who are armed.¡± ¡°They have no choice. It¡¯s the continental bridge that¡¯s stuck in the middle of the kingdoms¡± ¡°As Peyton Hyung-nim said. Though you may have conquered the entire continent, from generation to generation of rulers in the kingdoms, there have been big and small disputes.¡± ¡°Then did you notice the large number of knights at the welcome banquet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They say that all the well-to-do aristocrats of the North were gathered. How many of them do you remember?¡± The look on Peyton and Tenon¡¯s faces changed at Rashid¡¯s significant remarks. The battlefield was the only place where their brothers, the members of the imperial family, would meet the lower nobility of the North. The empire held a vast amount of territory and it had been many months, even years, since they had seen them that they had forgotten the faces of the lower nobles. Chapter 29 ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t remember any of them¡­.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he have gone back to his entourage after Duke Evendell was injured? A knight? Or maybe¡­¡± Tennon, musing over this, glanced at Rashid. However, Rashid was calm and did not reveal his emotions. ¡°Send a letter to the Duchess.¡± ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll have him do that and deliver it to the Ducal House of Evendell.¡± ¡°Peyton, what have you heard so far?¡± Rashid, who was leaning his head against his desk, looked up in annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s hard to reach her there.¡± ¡°Then where¡­¡± Rashid picked something up from the table. A small, pointed piece of wood. Doubts, uncertainty, and a desire for victory showed in Peyton¡¯s master¡¯s bloodshot eyes. ¡°The dukedom¡¯s deepest, most remote area, where one can enter and exit only by burying things like this.¡± ********************* ¡°Yes!¡± The baby swan¡¯s eyes were teary. I couldn¡¯t help but hug Haniel because for once, she had slept well. ¡°Baby, are you up?¡± Yes, this is it! A hug that was cozier than the softest of clouds. The best thing about adopting Haniel was that I didn¡¯t have to hesitate anymore when I wanted to hug her. As I closed my eyes and furiously rubbed my cheeks against her¡¯s, Haniel burst into laughter; perhaps it was ticklish. ¡°Mommy? Mom?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it ticklish?¡± ¡°No, Mommy.¡± I¡¯d always wanted to say this. I endured the feeling of seeing her tears long enough. Nonetheless, my thrill didn¡¯t last long due to someone who was overly practical. ¡°Madam, I shouldn¡¯t say this, but you¡¯ve only been having fun today.¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have said it.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been up all night thinking about it and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m suitable for this.¡± The dark circles under Selene¡¯s eyes came down to her chin, possibly because she had stayed up the entire night. However, Haniel didn¡¯t run away and was still attached to her, so Selene accepted that she was already on the same boat as I. ¡°Don¡¯t give up; I think Haniel¡¯s already adjusted.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Mommy? Mommy!¡± ¡°Oh, my God.¡± ¡°Madam, if you cry here, I¡¯ll run away.¡± This is such a touching moment. However, as Selene had said, it was difficult for me, the mother, and Haniel, the daughter, to survive through this harsh world together. Balance was also necessary. ¡°You know, Selene¡­.¡± ¡°Just in case, please refrain from saying that the only person you can trust is a nanny.¡± ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t it amazing? Haniel didn¡¯t say anything when I was a human. How did you recognize me?¡± I carefully laid down Haniel, whom I held onto to regain my reason. If you¡¯re too much of a babysitter, it would affect the nanny¡¯s job; I had to consider everyone¡¯s positions, not just mine. As for why? A good mother has to set an example for her baby! ¡°Haniel, tell me. How did you know I was your mom when I turned into this?¡± ¡°I smelled your scent!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Look at this! Look, the people of the lake, at our Princess. I hugged Haniel again. Do you hear this? You heard it! You heard it! They were speechless and gasping at Selene, who now showed a grim face, saying, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to be surprised about.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll need to make plans for her future first.¡± ¡°Kyak, kyak, kyak!¡± ¡°If you had a baby like this, wouldn¡¯t you want to make plans?¡± ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be.¡± Selene was about to peck my beak this time. Now that I see it, she is more of a sister-in-law, not a nanny. But what she said was wrong. Raising a child with only love is absurd in any world. Isn¡¯t Haniel a precious young lady who is the current princess and daughter of the late Emperor? I cannot neglect Haniel¡¯s early education. ¡°¡­She needs to go to school first.¡± ¡°School? You mean Lady Melloe¡¯s school of etiquette?¡± ¡°Where else? I¡¯m torn, but I can¡¯t help it. Though Lady Melloe is strict, no one is as cultured as her in the lake.¡± I didn¡¯t like it, but I had no choice. Chapter 30 Haniel will become a beautiful heroine in the future, and Lady Melloe was the perfect teacher for court etiquette and common sense. ¡°Selene, I know that you¡¯re afraid of her, but¡­.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea!¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Selene, who I thought would be devastated, had a positive outlook. ¡°I¡¯m for it; I¡¯d rather follow Lady Melloe¡¯s steps Besides, since I¡¯m a nanny, I support going to school!¡± ¡°¡­¡± There¡¯s something off about this. I looked at her with wide eyes, but she was already busy adjusting her appearance. In the past, I would¡¯ve persistently delved into it, but the princess was now looking up at me with tear-stained cheeks. ¡°Mom, where am I going?¡± ¡°No, no, Haniel. I¡¯m not asking you to go anywhere.¡± ¡°Oh, Brother, am I going? Brother? Am I going to Brother?¡± The white swanling turned pale and fell over again. Mom knows how scary your brother is. I forced the child to calm down, recalling the eyes of the emperor, who she had been choked with tears just by looking into them. When she heard of him, her beak had been quivering so much that I felt there was no need any longer for her to go. She can just stay here. ¡°Haniel, no. You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± ¡°Really? Really? Not going anywhere?¡± ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Until our Haniel is not afraid of anything anymore. Until one day someone appears to protect her from loneliness besides me. ¡°Mommy will be there, Haniel.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not going to keep calling the princess by that name, are you?¡± Selene broke in again as she swept away the faint white fur. She had feathers that looked like it¡¯s finished trimming and looks more like her aunt rather than a nanny. ¡±No matter how little she knows about the truth, you should be more vigilant; she¡¯s quick-witted.¡± ¡°Ah, well. I should.¡± No matter how much I dedicated myself to Haniel, everything must remain a secret among us three. Even if I sacrificed my life, the lake will still be a dangerous world. Even if everyone was caught by Lania and lived as a common animal, it is safer to keep her identity a secret since everyone is under Lania¡¯s surveillance. ¡°Do you have a new name in mind then? You should let Lady Melloe know when she is registered.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s a name¡­.¡± ¡°She can just be ¡®Swanling,¡¯ just as you¡¯ve been calling her all this while. Since she is white, it¡¯s alright to call-¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll remain as her nanny forever and call her a swanling too?¡± Even though Haniel was not her child, Selene¡¯s still sincere. Having dropped Selene close, I lowered my head to look at Haniel again. I was awestruck by her smile void of impurities. Selene raised the child¡¯s hands and put them on her face, laughing at Haniel¡¯s facial expression. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll ask Lady Melloe to name her. She¡¯s an aristocrat, so her naming sense should be superb¨C.¡± ¡°Reina.¡± ¡°¨CYes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call her Reina.¡± The name word slid out smoothly from my lips. Haniel was fortunate that she was not named closer to her original name ¡°Haniel¡± since she was in hiding for the meantime. ¡°It suits you, my princess.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re done with your plans now, right? She¡¯s going to school tomorrow. In two days, we are throwing a party to celebrate our moving.¡± Knock, knock. Reina, who was delighted by the word ¡®party,¡¯ swiveled her eyes around. ¡°Ma-Madam!¡± A knock on the door. Thump. Thump. It was a soft sound that shouldn¡¯t be heard here. Lania and Rebecca were the only humans who came here, but they usually just opened the door rather than knocked. ¡°¡­¡± Thump. Thump. As the knock sounded again, Selene and Haniel hid in the corner. I realized that my daughter was still here, and my uneasiness grew. It can¡¯t be them. ¡°Who-Who are you?¡± There¡¯s no way anyone knows I live here. However, the fact that they came here meant that they had come to visit me. Since I lived in the duke¡¯s most secretive villa, I was branded as the witch of the ducal house. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°We meet again, Duchess of Evendell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± These words made it more clear than the naked sight of them. As the door slid open, my teeth chattered and my jaw trembled. I gazed at one of my daughter¡¯s brothers, who stood next to a handsome, melancholic man. Chapter 31 ¡°I know you must be surprised, but please understand that we had to reach out to you like this. I am Peyton, the third prince of the Empire.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°His Majesty sent you this.¡± The man handed me the black envelope in haste. I couldn¡¯t remember exactly what the third prince said, but his voice was polite and clear. ¡°¡­ Please tell him that I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Yes, madam. Just a moment.¡± Bang. As soon as I closed the door, I leaned back, laughing with quickened breaths. No matter how hard I tried to speak, all that came out of my mouth was hysterical laughter. I was laughing like there was no tomorrow. ¡°¡­Madam.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but our plan will have to change.¡± It¡¯s good to have different strategies, but I have to survive first. *** ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a lot of people who use black magic. Demonic techniques are of a much higher caliber than normal magic; you can¡¯t perform them with sheer strength.¡± Rashid asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying they are outwardly indistinguishable?¡± ¡°Yes, it would be ridiculous if someone who genuinely knows how to use black magic couldn¡¯t erase their own traces,¡± the royal wizard, kneeling, answered. He came all the way north in search of Loam¡¯s traces, but the wizard was ashamed because he had not known that the emperor would release him. ¡°Your Majesty, if it is you or the previous wizards of your royal bloodline, then it is not impossible to catch the black magic user. But if it¡¯s your uncle¡­¡± Rashid wrinkled his dark eyebrows. Kerhan, the brother of his late mother and a grand wizard, had long since disappeared from the world. Although the five princes discovered their magical talents early on, they still kept in touch with the tower. However, all Kerhan did was leave the German Pearlstone to the newborn Haniel without even attending his mother¡¯s funeral. ¡°Then, how can we find them?¡± ¡°Those who practice the dark arts are usually black-haired. It does not show up at birth, but the user will grow into it. ¡± ¡°¡­And?¡± ¡°There are times when they act under the pretext of instability and isolation. And since they put effort into captivating their targets, they¡¯re appearance will be charming¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she is!¡± ¡°¡­I told you to be careful.¡± A low voice sounded. Rashid gave Tennon a fierce look, signalling him not to step in. However, Rashid also had an indescribable, unrecognizable look on his face. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never experienced it myself, but black magic users can also control a person¡¯s soul. I heard that it¡¯s hard to escape the grasp of black magic because it¡¯s irreversible; that is the power of darkness.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out more. Anyway, if anyone uses black magic, we should be able to find out as soon as possible. Oh, Prince Peyton is here, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re back, Your Highness.¡± As soon as the royal wizard left, Peyton, who had delivered the letter, stepped inside. Shifting his expression after feeling the unusual atmosphere, Rashid uncrossed his legs. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She looked a bit flustered, but she respected the Emperor¡¯s words and agreed with your decision.¡± Surprised, Rashid stroked his chin. Peyton coughed. ¡°She said she¡¯s coming?¡± ¡°She said she awaits her meeting with the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± His older brother¡¯s exclamation resounded in the chamber. Tennon scratched his cheek, feeling uncomfortable. ¡°Are you sure you will be alright? What if she¡¯s really a witch?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Frowning, Rashid sat upright and rested his chin on his hands. ¡°You can¡¯t give up this opportunity; Loam, Haniel, and a few suspicious beings from the north are there.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°In the North, where there is no governor or family head, only two women take charge.¡± No matter the result, it was a basic rule to inspect the area beforehand. Chapter 32 Of course, this time, he had a dubious reason; but he wasn¡¯t the kind of person to tell his younger brothers what it was. ¡°One is a saint, and one is evil, no? We¡¯ll see the answer soon.¡± ¡°Then, will Princess Lania investigate with you to speed up the process?¡± ¡°Why would she? If she comes, then I won¡¯t go.¡± Rashid approached the window, and spotting a silhouette scaling the imperial stairs from afar, his face was grimly set in satisfaction. ¡°¡­and I¡¯m much more needed here.¡± *** As I climbed the flight of endless stairs, I forgot my words for a moment upon seeing the sight. The Dukedom of Evendell is magnificent as the most powerful house in the North; but His Majesty¡¯s palace is completely different. The scenery alone is overwhelming enough to make my legs tremble. They call it the winter palace; every area is majestic, from the marble steps to the endless columns. At first glance, it looked like a sacred temple. This is the place where I had committed countless sins. Holding my fluttering chest, my eyes swept across the magnificent palace. I had never expected that my heart would be filled with yearning for something other than the food from my previous life, the tteokbokki, galbi, and japchae. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ If they had known I had Haniel, they wouldn¡¯t have sent me away like this. That great tyrant¡¯s character would have left me tied up in chains and dragged me away. ¡®They don¡¯t know yet, so all I have to do is do well.¡¯ I have a child to protect! As I followed the attendant inside, I thought of Haniel, and it cheered me up. My eyes got blurry when I thought of my baby princess who had clung close to me. ¡°Mommy, mommy! Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Mom will come back alive. Okay? Listen to nanny.¡± Mommy should go to sleep. I¡¯ll be with you. ¡°Hugh¡­¡± ¡°Here you are, Duchess.¡± Huge doors swung open, and I stepped aside. Just like the owner of the palace, the delicate sculptures carved out of ice sparkled. I couldn¡¯t escape anyway, so I loosened my shoulders and took a step inside. ¡°Greetings to the great emperor; may you be protected by Lord Teresa.¡± ¡°¡­Stand up.¡± The cold voice of the emperor made me tremble. I couldn¡¯t believe his words flowed so smoothly. Last time, there were a few people present, but now, there are only the two of us, the emperor and I. ¡°You look nervous.¡± ¡°M-Me?¡± I raised my head towards the emperor, my eyes meeting his crimson orbs. It was the same as when I first saw him; he still was simply breathtaking. ¡°Hmm.¡± His blood red eyes were clearly illuminated in the backdrop of the winter palace; his eyes were cold, implying his reign. Nevertheless, it was strangely familiar. Of course. He resembles Haniel. His eyes were the same color as my baby swan¡¯s eyes. Of course, she can¡¯t be compared to a tyrant like that, but his vivid eyes were familiar; they were the same as the eyes of the child I loved to hug. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Even though I was white as a sheet, I willed myself to shake my head. You look like my daughter! Our topic was about any newly-caught herbivore animals, causing me to start. ¡°Maybe the Duchess knows something interesting that I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°No!¡± Was my voice too loud? The emperor crossed his legs and lifted his chin. My chest couldn¡¯t help but flutter. I felt like my heart was going to explode, but I pulled myself together when I thought of Haniel, whom I left behind. ¡®He doesn¡¯t know everything, does he?¡¯ My body felt so tiny and weak when I faced him, it was uncanny. I felt like I was being stabbed by his gaze. However, I had no choice but to hide the truth, unless he revealed his purpose. ¡°I am living alone, wasting away every day after his death. There cannot possibly be anything interesting involving me.¡± Chapter 33 ¡°Not at all?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± I tried not to reveal any expression towards him, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve lived there a long time. Is there anything especially memorable or impressive there?¡± ¡°None at all, Your Majesty.¡± After I was reincarnated, I¡¯d only gone out once; I couldn¡¯t understand what this royal wanted to say. ¡°If you could give me some more details¡­¡± ¡°There you go!¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± Oh, why is he so frustrating?! This tyrant! Still, it is better for me to remain calm. After all, isn¡¯t it said that the person who gets angry first loses? ¡°How enlightening! I wish I could help you with this, but since His Majesty is here, there¡¯s no use for me. I shall take my leave¡­¡±¡± The tyrant wasn¡¯t a patient man, and he gave off a powerful aura; perhaps it was due to his long-standing position in Lania. However, I¡¯m grateful because this served as a great training for me. ¡°That day.¡± But I forgot he was no pushover. ¡®That day.¡¯ As soon as I heard those words, cold sweat trickled down my back. ¡°W-what do you mean by that day?¡± ¡°Are you going to say that you can¡¯t remember, again?¡± The weary voice of the emperor grew deep. The only time we ever came close to meeting was when I was going to give Haniel back. ¡°That day you must have¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I certainly waited!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I waited until nightfall. It was the Emperor who didn¡¯t show up. However, since I guess I¡¯m the only one responsible, if the Emperor is dissatisfied with my actions, my guilt would weigh upon me until death.¡± Heuk. My increasingly loud words ended in an apology. To be honest, I don¡¯t know if my excuse made sense. Now, I just had to remember how long I waited for him that day. But I can¡¯t give Haniel to him! My mind went blank as I weighed my two options: losing Haniel or losing my life. As if he was enjoying a spectacle, the emperor quietly leaned to the side. ¡°You waited for me?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve waited anxiously for you to come. I was waiting despite the bitter cold of the north.¡± Why was he laughing at me? There was a tinge of anxiety around his smirking lips. ¡°When I am embarrassed, I speak everything on my mind without regard to my surroundings; I think with the mentality of the lower class.¡± Since his expression did not change, I could not grasp what the Emperor was thinking. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to leave. I made up my mind to tell everything to Your Majesty if you came on time, but when I didn¡¯t see you, I thought that there was a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°There is a reason why I couldn¡¯t go.¡± ¡°¡­I believe that you couldn¡¯t come because of circumstances beyond your control. After all, you are a member of the imperial family.¡± That was smooth, wasn¡¯t it? It must have been smooth. We gazed at each other for a very long time, and in the silence, only the sound of our breaths could be heard. However, no matter how intimidating the emperor¡¯s gaze was, I¡¯d already made up my words. He didn¡¯t come! He didn¡¯t see it! Baby, your mother will live! When life and death could happen at any moment, there was nothing scarier than being abandoned. Even if the emperor says he saw, he would never believe that the baby swan was the missing princess. I couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t dare blame you. However, it would have been wonderful to show you the beautiful Lake Ferdium.¡± ¡°It really is a shame.¡± My smile became more natural as I regained my composure. ¡°I know. Goodness, you must have seen many places all over the world so beautiful they would leave you a fool, so I¡¯ll leave you now.¡± Chapter 34 I didn¡¯t have a lot of worldly experience, but I had somehow encountered similar situations several times today. For example, meeting his eyes (the ones that were so similar to Haniel¡¯s), and the sound of metal ringing in my ears. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°W- What do you mean?¡± When a man like him approaches me abruptly¡­ Wait, no way. ¡°The other princes are probably waiting for us in the Pavillion with refreshments. Do you need to leave so hastily?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. I have things to tend to¡­¡± ¡°Like what? Don¡¯t you gaze at the lake all day?¡± His Majesty leaned closer to me. Subconsciously, I held my breath. Although he could not press his red lips anywhere, they were so close that there was barely a gap between us. ¡°Eat something sweet and relax. Others might think that I¡¯m eating you up.¡± *** Oh, God. What went wrong with our baby¡¯s fate that she had to lose her mother twice? ¡°¡­¡± Lost in my worries, I could not recall how I felt as I headed to the garden to meet the other three princes. However, if I were to escape, I was sure that feeling would become evident, along with my impending doom. ¡°Is the tea not to your liking?¡± Because this man would definitely leash me and drag me back. ¡°If the tea isn¡¯t to the Duchess¡¯ liking, I¡¯ll have it changed immediately¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Please save me, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I really had no idea. I would¡¯ve never expected that Your Majesty and the princes were the ones who lined up outside the dessert shop.¡± I shook my head, on the verge of tears. They look quite familiar to me now. How could I not know? The three brothers had such muscular and noticeable physiques when they stood outside the shop. ¡°Of course, even though I was unaware of your identities, I had thought that you guys were quite extraordinary, ehem.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± How could three large men lining up outside a dessert shop in the middle of the day look normal?! I covered my mouth and showed the most sincere expression that I could muster to the three men. Unfortunately, my elegant appearance could only charm and not look honest and kind. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have done it back then if I had known. Please believe me.¡± ¡°Of course I believe you. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be having tea here with you, with your neck still intact.¡± His Majesty, smiling dubiously, looked the sincerest that I had ever seen him. With his smile that made me shiver and subconsciously check the condition of my neck, he set down his cup. ¡°Anyway, we have to repay you for that day.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± ¡°But still, why don¡¯t you accept it? It¡¯s not going to burden you anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Haniel, thankfully you escaped that house. Even if she had grown up safely, her personality would become rather twisted after spending so much time with a man like him. It gave me strength upon thinking of the cute white cygnet who was with Selene right now. It was time to be objective. ¡®Let¡¯s just think about the facts.¡¯ First, though this man angers me, it was evident that he has yet to realize Haniel¡¯s identity. ¡°Huuu.¡± But as soon as I sighed in relief, I breathed in again. ¡°Huuup.¡± Why? Because I¡¯m angry at myself. ¡°Is this not enough to satisfy the Duchess?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± I beg for your understanding. As I stretched my hands out on the tea table, the Emperor had quickly folded his. The other princes, too, retreated, worried that I would touch them. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Anyone would think that I was about to curse them. Though I was slightly hurt, I also wanted to distance myself from the princes. It was the affectionate prince beside the handsome prince who broke the awkward silence first. ¡°Hmm, Your Majesty, please calm down. Didn¡¯t the Duchess already say that she wasn¡¯t aware?¡± ¡°Peyton.¡± He looked to be the only one who was in the right mind. I was reminded that while they shared the same bloodline and a similar handsome appearance, he had the uprightness and objectivity that the Emperor did not. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± I heard that he was the third brother? I subconsciously raised my head to observe him, but then quickly lowered my hands when I met a deathly glare. Chapter 35 I¡¯m not sure what caused him to get angry, but the Emperor¡¯s crimson eyes flared up. ¡°Duchess, you get comfortable quickly, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Well.¡± I quickly moved my hands back and recovered my forced smile. Even without the Third Prince¡¯s words, there was still something I needed to clear up. And that is, I am at no fault! ¡°Although it was rude of me to have not recognized you that day, I did nothing wrong to deserve such criticism. I maintained order, did not abuse my power, and even shared my food. That was it.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be all, though? I definitely saw¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Argh, he stopped his sentence midway again, and I barely managed to overcome the frustration that flared up within me. However, I would be better off trying to please the Emperor than incurring his wrath. ¡°Yes. I was foolish enough to not have recognized you, and I even hurt you. I apologize, as I¡¯ve only stayed in the villa and rarely met others besides those in this mansion.¡± ¡°Busy reminiscing the late Duke?¡± After asking the question, the Emperor suddenly stopped in realization. The other princes shot him a puzzled look, and the corner of his eye twitched. ¡°Well, anyway. I¡¯ll acknowledge that this was a misunderstanding.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Why did he act so generous while saying those words? But anyway, it looks like I have safely overcome this hurdle. If only I had a handkerchief with me to wipe the sweat off my forehead. Though I tried my best to act calmly, my legs were trembling as I remained seated. ¡°Duchess, here¡¯s a handkerchief.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you, Your Highness.¡± Haniel was blessed to still have a brother like him. Even the smallest act of kindness felt heartwarming at this moment. My hands reached out hesitantly as I looked at the handkerchief that the Third Prince, Peyton, offered. But before I could take it, an unfamiliar and terrifying sound tore through the air. SHRIING. He did not tell me to not take it, nor did he stop Peyton from giving it to me. My hands froze as the Emperor¡¯s shimmering golden sword pointed at me. Peyton froze, and the Fourth Prince¡¯s expression turned desperate. ¡°Brother, be careful! Nothing¡¯s certain as of now.¡± ¡°Tenon!¡± Though Peyton looked at Tenon in reproach and gave me an apologetic look, there was no way I could have missed it. Why would someone like me be offered a man¡¯s handkerchief? Thankfully, my cold sweat that dripped onto the table had thoroughly dried up. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m thankful that we were able to resolve all of our misunderstandings. Should I return home to reflect upon myself?¡± ¡°Resolve?¡± The Emperor¡¯s thick eyebrows wrinkled. I cannot distinguish the truth from flawless lies. Otherwise, why would my expression falter at his reiteration? ¡°Y-Your Majesty has acknowledged that the incident in the city was caused by my ignorance.¡± ¡°But that was just limited to that specific incident.¡± ¡°What? What else is there then?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so before? You had something that you needed to show me at the Dukedom¡¯s banquet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was from ages ago. I covered my mouth before a cry or a laugh could escape. However, one second thought, if the Emperor were so lenient, he would not be labeled as a tyrant. ¡°Though I couldn¡¯t make it, you acted as though you had something important to show me.¡± ¡°¡­I did?¡± ¡°And if you did not show, you must immediately offer your head¡­¡± ¡°No! You just said there was no punishment!¡± ¡°¡­¡± He tapped his finger with a smile as if he had been waiting. His aura was noble for someone who wanted to tear my soul into pieces. ¡°It¡¯s good that you remember, Duchess! Now, you should also remember what you were going to show me, right?¡± He slowly raised his chin, as if plotting my downfall. Now that I scrutinized him, his sharp jawline was definitely the same one I had seen outside the dessert shop. ¡°You said that I would regret it. I wonder what it is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± All of their attention was on me at that moment. I would never talk of returning Haniel to them, not over my dead body. Chapter 36 My heart thumped furiously, aligning with my quick breaths. ¡®How should the female protagonist act at times like these?¡¯ Usually, they would go to the male protagonists using their buffs* and say things like, ¡®I¡¯ll help you solve your problems!¡¯ *T/N: Buffs here refers to giving support, similar to how the same term is used in MMORPG games. The female protagonists would then use their knowledge of the original story¡¯s future as a stepping stone to gain the male protagonist¡¯s trust and make rapid advancement to a contract marriage. But as for me¡­ ¡°¡­ What?¡± No, this was not right. Just looking at the Emperor¡¯s relaxed yet vicious expression made even delusions of a contract marriage disappear. It would be better to just die instead. Moreover, I was not a ¡®poor but smart female protagonist,¡¯ but rather, a ¡®widow with three daughters who don¡¯t even know her husband¡¯s face.¡¯ ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡± What did they want from me? Their eyes gleamed dangerously as they closed in as if waiting for me to give some important prophecy. ¡®Why are they acting like this?¡¯ Even the Fourth Prince Tenon was staring at my hair the entire time. I subconsciously glanced at his hand that approached and almost touched my hair. ¡°Ehem.¡± When the Emperor also looked over, Tenon quickly withdrew his arm and let out an awkward cough. Rashid shifted his fierce eyes from Tenon to me. I could feel the tension in the surrounding air as his patience thinned. ¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯ I knew that he would draw his sword if I did not give him an answer soon. As time passed, the savage king¡¯s aura suppressed us further as he became more aloof. ¡°May I remind you what you said that day: ¡®There are things that shouldn¡¯t be seen by others in this vast world.¡¯¡± ¡°Someone might be after Your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to tell you.¡± The three brothers did not change their stance, but their eyes had widened. The Emperor¡¯s expression, in particular, was cold as he laid on his back like a satiated beast. ¡°And how do you know?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Why bother asking? Reflect on your actions and behavior, you tyrant. After being on the battlefield for so long, did you expect to not have any vengeful enemies? Although it was a different claim from other female protagonists¡¯ ¡°I know your future!¡±, It was not entirely false. As a result, from now on, they will probably pressure me to provide evidence of the problem. ¡°¡­¡± What else can I say? Now that I had mentioned the Emperor¡¯s life, the three bloodsucking brothers would never let me go¡­ ¡°True!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh? My eyes narrowed at Tenon¡¯s sudden exclamation. What? Though I was grateful that there weren¡¯t any other questions, it devastated me to see how they were taking it so seriously. ¡°Duchess.¡± The top predator clung onto my consciousness that was trying to escape. However. ¡°Your Majesty, that was all I wanted to tell you.¡± If they were dangerous predators, then I would be a herbivore with maxed out survival skills. I¡¯ve already survived in similar situations twice before, so I can¡¯t not die here. Yeah, let¡¯s go all the way. With my eyes lowered, my face turned sorrowful. ¡°Honestly, there are things that I can understand just by observing this vast world, without anyone telling me. So to answer your question, I know it through the energy felt from the rain, wind, and ripples on the lake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As ambiguous as possible. My lips are no longer mine. If I could extend my life by 10 seconds for every answer, I would say anything for our princess and me to stay together for a hundred years. I need to be more serious in front of the three serious men if I want to survive. ¡°Of course, my words may sound ridiculous to you, but looking at the lake¡¯s energy flow, I felt¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± The Emperor raised a hand and interrupted me mid-sentence. That pair of mysterious and indifferent crimson eyes scrutinized me¨C from head to toe and back up. They were akin to rubies that were so clear that I could even see my reflection in them. Chapter 37 As my black hair swept down, the gaze that had been lying on my forehead met my purple eyes. It was only coming into contact with those eyes, did I realize how cruel this beast could be. He was for real. I forced my suppressed body to stand up and did not avoid his gaze all the while. No, I could not avoid it. I later realized and instinctively gathered my hands that were still on the table when I looked up and met his eyes. ¡°You can leave for now.¡± He had decided to keep me alive ¡®for the time being.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s leave the remaining conversation for next time. The Viscount must be waiting for you outside. He will be escorting you back.¡± ¡°¡­I am grateful for your grace, Your Majesty.¡± Let¡¯s go. I should leave since he asked. My mind turned blank when he shot me that murderous gaze towards me. What was in it for me to know what he was thinking? It was important that he kept me alive. With my acute survival instincts, I used up my remaining strength left in me to get up and leave this dangerous place. I stumbled as my legs turned jelly under the extreme stress but still forced myself to stand up and kept to the etiquettes. ¡°I will take my leave then. I hope you will have a good time. Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Duchess!¡± The white sky had shrouded my eyes in a flash. I should grab onto something. I tried to reach my hand out but did not even have that much energy to do so. As my body collapsed and my vision blurred, I last saw the Third Prince Peyton jump up and ran towards me. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°I sent her away nicely.¡± But the voice I heard from above me was by another man. The Emperor¡¯s piercing eyes, which watched me closely from earlier, could now be felt above my head. ¡°It seems like she didn¡¯t want to leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No, it might have changed a little. That lowered gaze and listless voice seemed unfamiliar, yet still somehow familiar. As my blurred vision came back into focus, the first thing I saw was a glowing forehead. I realized a while later that the hand supporting my waist was not cold but rather hot. Plus, my hands once again were at his chest. ¡°If you must end this¡­¡± ¡°N, n, no! No! I¡¯m not! I¡¯m not going to!¡± I focused all my strength on both hands. Not sure if it was my body that jumped away or the Emperor pushed me away, my body was already at the bottom of the Pavillion when I opened my eyes. ¡°Haa, haa!¡± I must force myself to crawl out of this place even if I fainted. I went on my knees and used all my strength to hasten my movement. I might not know what he was thinking, but this was clear to me. I would die if I were caught. *** ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Peyton and Tenon stood up from their seats and approached Rashid with their worried faces. Rashid had not once looked up after Catherine had pushed him away. Though it did not seem that she had pushed him with too much force since he did not budge at all, he was their top concern. ¡°Your Majesty, why don¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Rashid coldly shook Peyton off, who was about to help him up. It did not look like he was injured, judging by the speed he was waving his hands despite still looking down. Feeling relieved, Tenon then looked in the direction of the Duchess¡¯ disappearing silhouette as she left the place. ¡°It may be quite vague, but after some observation, she isn¡¯t a witch. Her black hair seems to be natural, and she does not seem to have other signs to show that she is one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your Majesty, I haven¡¯t met a woman like her, who is evil or uses forbidden magic, and yet could also make others fall for them at once¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Rashid finally looked up as he firmly denied his brothers¡¯ words. His nape seemed abnormally flushed, as if he was under some sort of curse, which also gripped his heart grimly. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a witch.¡± *** Soon, the hems of my black dress were full of dirt. It did not come to me that I had survived even after leaving that palace before. I finally managed to breathe when the villa by the lake came into sight. ¡°Haa!¡± Just how far did I run to be smelling blood in my throat every time I inhaled? Aigoo*, I¡¯m dying. T/N: Aigoo here is an exclamation used when one is tired, exhausted, or sometimes when sighing. I would love to lie down right away, but there was a reason that was stopping me from doing so. ¡°Baby, our Haniel!¡± [Mommy? Mommyy!] As soon as I opened the door to the villa, I embraced Haniel, who ran towards me and closed my eyes. It was great to see you again, my princess. Tears filled my eyes as soon as I hugged her, unable to suppress my emotions. ¡°You must¡¯ve waited quite a long time! Baby, look at mommy!¡± [S, sob.] [Seriously, others might think that this mother and daughter died a wrongful death and met again in their next life.] Chapter 38 ¡°Quiet! I said to be quiet!¡± SNIP. I raised my voice at Selene, who mocked us as she could not stand the cringe, and stopped my tears from flowing. Though she put up an aggrieved expression and got cursed at for no reason, she soon realized that I had gone through something more serious than she had thought. [But, are you alright? What happened there¡­] ¡°Sob. Let me catch my breath.¡± [Did His Majesty somehow catch wind of it? Did he say that he¡¯ll take the princess with him?] [Nng, not go. I not go! Haniel not going. Brother is scary.] ¡°¡­¡± Haniel heard our conversation and shivered in my arms while she whimpered, without actually knowing what¡¯s going on. [No! Haniel likes mommy. Brother is scary. Very very scary! Boohoohoo.] ¡°Baby.¡± Again, burning rage started to fill up deep within me. I was horrified from having met him in that short period, so I could not imagine how the young girl would be. I could not bear just at the thought of it. ¡°You¡¯re not going. Haniel will stay with mommy. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t go to your brothers.¡± [R, really?] ¡°Of course. Haniel is now mommy¡¯s baby.¡± She must be anxious, seeing how much I¡¯m shaking right now. Haniel stopped sniffling after I straightened up and forced a smile. ¡®So this is why mothers can¡¯t show their weak side even if they are hurt or sick.¡¯ I endured and suppressed my trembling heart before Haniel got influenced by me again. The time passed relatively slow while waiting for our baby princess to fall asleep completely. However, like how Haniel felt a sense of relief from me, I, too, felt consoled by this young child. ¡®Is this how family is?¡¯ Though I never had this experience, I was happy to know that there was someone home waiting for me. Selene, who had been keeping quiet and waiting for some time, came waddling over. [Your Ladyship, it seems that she¡¯s finally asleep. She should be quite heavy. Why don¡¯t you put her down?] ¡°I want to stay like this for a while more.¡± Though it was tiring to carry her, putting her down was worse. As Haniel fell into deep sleep, I patted her and slowly leaned on my back. [But, what did His Majesty say? He didn¡¯t catch wind of Haniel and asked to take her away, so there shouldn¡¯t be anything for you to be afraid of. You should be confident and say that I did not commit any crime!] ¡°Don¡¯t comment unnecessarily when it has nothing to do with you.¡± Who was the one who stayed in her place after hearing news of the Emperor? Selene was definitely an animal now. Not only her empathy but her memory had also decreased significantly. Though I detested seeing her rolling her eyes so calmly, I did not have the energy to retaliate. I waved my hand for her to leave, but Selene did not budge and stuck around instead. [Are you really not going to tell me? Did His Majesty start forcing you to speak or get suspicious about you?] ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡± [The Prince¡¯s were around as well. Were they as scary as His Majesty?] ¡°He¡¯s not scary, but how should I put it¡­¡± Recalling it made me feel weak, as if I had drank a potent alcohol, making me feel fuzzy. ¡°Overall, the brothers were quite weird. They were staring at me as if shooting lasers from their eyes. Phew.¡± [Isn¡¯t that because Your Ladyship is too beautiful?] ¡°Oh my.¡± I had wanted to reply, ¡®I won¡¯t be able to hate them if they had said that¡­¡¯ but instead, I forced a laugh. ¡°No, you should have been there to see it yourself. They treated me like a criminal, as if they were on a witch hunt.¡± [I, it was to that extent?] ¡°Don¡¯t even bring it up. I think it was the fourth prince? He was looking at my hair as if ready to just rip it off my head.¡± [What if he wanted to just severe your head off, instead of your hair?] ¡°¡­¡± Chills went down my back as I imagined if that had actually happened to me. But recalling the event again, none of them seem to have unsheathed their swords or displayed murderous intent. ¡°Mm.¡± I was more certain about that fact since I came back alive. If they were bent on killing me, they would have tried something on me right there and then, but instead, they sent me away. Plus, it would matter a lot since the man with crimson-red eyes had allowed it¡­ [Your Ladyship, what were you thinking that made your face so flushed?] ¡°M, me?¡± I then fanned my face and sat down, with my back slightly turned. I could feel Haniel¡¯s heartbeat spreading throughout my body. ¡°I was quite shocked. I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯ve escaped death multiple times a day recently.¡± [Why did you choose to raise the princess then? You¡¯ve lived your days so comfortably up until now.] ¡°Yeah. Of course, I¡¯ve been living comfortably until then¡­¡± But I had not felt this much warmth all those while. Chapter 39 The corners of my mouth crept upwards as I gently patted the sleeping Haniel as she snuggled into my arms. Though I was surprised that I am smiling even in this situation, I was more fascinated that I did not feel an ounce of loneliness that I always had. ¡°¡­¡± PAT PAT. My hand wrapped carefully around her wings, and as I placed my fingers on her, I could feel her little heartbeats. As expected of her to be the same bloodline as her brother, their hearts beat relatively fast¡­ ¡°Cough cough!¡± [Madam!] ¡°Selene, you know, I¡¯ll raise our princess very well. I have the responsibility over anyone else to raise her beautifully and safely.¡± [¡­] ¡°And, so.¡± I could not control my overwhelming emotions and even expressed my unquestioned decision. I clung to Selene¡¯s feet, who was instinctively trying to get away from this. ¡°Pack your bags. Let¡¯s move!¡± To put it nicely, it was moving. But honestly, it was no different from a daylight escape. It was the second day, and I had been making careful preparations without anyone noticing. There might not be a lot to pack, but since we are a family of three, including baby Haniel moving our base, there was still quite a few baggage to take with us. I now understood why mothers back in Korea had their hands full of bags while carrying their kids. ¡°We must take a blanket for Haniel. Though she¡¯s a white cygnet, they are still unable to maintain their body temperature.¡± [Madam.] ¡°Oh, let¡¯s pack all the fish jerky dried out on the roof and the bird feed. We can¡¯t let the young one starve while looking for a new lake.¡± [You said there was none when I asked for more previously.] Selene grumbled as she brought out the blanket with her beak and threw a scowl at me. As I was in a hurry, she had no choice but to follow my pace, but still expressed her discontent. [Will you even leave? You didn¡¯t budge even though Lady Rania had bullied you so much.] ¡°I have nothing else to lose to her, but it¡¯s not the case with the Emperor.¡± [Just what happened between you and His Majesty?] ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± I avoided Selene¡¯s eyes and hurriedly packed Haniel¡¯s ribbon. Strangely, it was always at such moments that Selene moved so fast that her head appeared from under the ribbons. [What really happened? Please tell me.] ¡°Well, he¡¯s just huge, scary, and sturdy.¡± [Sturdy? Where?] ¡°The empire¡¯s economy.¡± Although it was unintentional, if Selene had touched the Emperor¡¯s chest, there was a high possibility that she would have ran away, wanting to live alone. Selene started raking the ground violently as she could not stand seeing me rolling up ribbons hurriedly and pretending to not hear her. [We¡¯re running, and yet you¡¯re packing ribbons?] ¡°Seriously. I¡¯m not packing just ribbons, but taking along Haniel¡¯s cuteness. If you¡¯re a nanny, act like one and widen your outlook.¡± [Besides that, have you decided where and how we¡¯re going to wherever we¡¯re heading to? Lady Rania won¡¯t let us off so easily.] Selene took on a practical stand out of the blue. [Lady Rebecca pops in occasionally as well. It doesn¡¯t matter if Haniel and I are not around, but they¡¯ll find out if you disappeared.] ¡°I suppose so. Since I¡¯ll have to show them that I¡¯m still around.¡± [You knew that, and yet you want to run away?] ¡°What else can I do then? Keeping myself alive comes first.¡± It did not feel like I was living at the thought of facing the Emperor and the lake, while unsure when he would return. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Duchess.¡± ¡°I, I committed no crime, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Which did you mean? Kidnapping, or sexual harassment?¡± ¡°Ughhh.¡± Just last night, I had a dream of the Emperor gesturing with his middle finger, calling for me. The saying of even living a cursed life is better than living a sinned life, was not for naught. ¡°This isn¡¯t the only lake anyway. Though we won¡¯t be able to get out of the Northern Lands overnight, but we¡¯ll be able to find a small lake using the map you gave previously.¡± [Did you think Lady Rania won¡¯t be able to find her way there? She even has the wizard who cursed us with dark magic.] ¡°We¡¯ll have to move from one to another. I have thought about it, once we¡¯ve left the Northern Lands, the huge risk will be reduced. Since we are not allowed to intrude on other regions besides the Emperor, I think we¡¯ll have to either head east or west.¡± I never expected the knowledge I got from Lady Melleo would come in handy now. The Emperor was in the center of the empire, much like the egg yolk, and the other regions surrounding it. Even under the powerful authority of the Emperor, only the four lords in their respective territories were recognized and acknowledged for their long time efforts against invasions from other countries. ¡°It would be a loss to Rania as well if she uses dark magic in the territories of other lords. She wouldn¡¯t risk it.¡± [Even so¡­] Chapter 40 ¡°Regardless if you get caught here or elsewhere, the favor we owed would only be that much. But Selene, you¡¯ve always wanted to move somewhere else. Why are you hesitating now?¡± Look at her. I had always thought that she was worried about getting caught by Rania, but I could see now that was not the case. It was because she was incredibly attached to this place, even though she did not say it. [I¡¯m asking if this is really the best solution. It¡¯ll soon be the princess¡¯ admission ceremony¡­] ¡°Admission ceremony?¡± I admired how she took this situation so lightly. I looked absurdly at her, wondering if I should applaud her for it, but Selene¡¯s puffed cheeks were full of discontent. I could not stand it anymore; instead, I gave up rolling up the ribbons and tied it around my neck, and stomped my feet. ¡°I¡¯m now planning a course for us to live together, but here you¡¯re talking about the admission ceremony? Why are you talking about school when we¡¯re on a battlefield? Plus, you were so scared of Lady Melleo before. Why are you obsessed with her now?¡± [What do you mean I¡¯m obsessed? Since Your Ladyship knows that the princess is attending school as well¡­] [Skhool? Haniel is going to skhool?] ¡°Ah¡­ Our princess is awake?¡± We might have raised our voices, as Haniel raised her head from the cradle and looked around sleepily. She woke because of you! I stared at Selene for a while before rushing over to hug Haniel, but she was unexpectedly excited. [Mommy! Haniel is going to skhool?] ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go. Haniel said before Teacher Melleo was scary.¡± [Noo. It wasn¡¯t Teacher Melleo.] ¡°Not her?¡± What was she talking about now? Regardless if she had a short-tongue, she did not display the same fear as back then. When I last peeked at her from afar in the grasslands, she was dejected, but today, her eyes were sparkling. [Awesome teacher! Nanny is a very very] [My my, our princess isn¡¯t fully awake yet. Come to nanny, quick.] ¡°¡­¡± Selene rushed to Haniel and started fluffing her feathers. She never acknowledged when I half-forced her to take Haniel¡¯s nanny¡¯s role, there was no way she would be so proactive now. [Our princess has to wash up now. Blow your nose too.] ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± [W, what do you mean?] ¡°You have always been acting suspiciously¡­ Sigh, put Haniel down and follow me.¡± [Mommy, I like nanny! Haniel likes nanny! I¡¯m scared if she shouts.] ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I¡¯ve only glared fiercely at Selene, but Haniel reacted quite violently. Her shoulders trembled so much, and soon tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Ha, Haniel. What¡¯s wrong?¡± [Mommy, are you angri?] ¡°No. I¡¯m not angry. I just want to tell the nanny. That she has to treat you well.¡± [Shdoes! Nanny trits Haniel well.] ¡°¡­Hey.¡± You made her say that, right! I gritted my teeth, and Selene swallowed her saliva as if she was really taken aback. As expected, she shook her head violently, as if she did not know that Haniel would side with her. [N, no. Your Ladyship knows too that I don¡¯t really like babies, I don¡¯t even talk to her much! I¡¯ve only fed her fish jerky and look over her when Your Ladyship isn¡¯t around¡­] [Yeah, look! She trits me well!] [¡­] [Nanny was wib Haniel! The palace¡¯s nanny shouted and scared Haniel when Haniel didn¡¯t sleep, but the lake nanny didn¡¯t. I like her.] By then, Haniel was on the floor and patting Selene with her white wing. [It¡¯s alright! I lik you!] [¡­] [She trited me well!] Selene turned around as she could not bear to face Haniel, who was using all the kinds words in her vocabulary at her. ¡°Selene, cry if you want. I know that you¡¯re crying.¡± [W, wahhh. Y, Your Ladyship.] [Don¡¯t cri. You should not cri. Nanny, stop!] Even Haniel stepped up to console Selene. [Come here. Haniel gib hug!] [Princess! Please forgive me!] [Hmm?] [I wanted you to sleep early to eat the remaining fish jerky, wahhhhh.] PAT PAT. As Haniel continued patting, Selene¡¯s sobbing worsened. It could be her first time hearing compliments in her life that there was no end to her repentance. It was only when I forcibly pulled Haniel away that I saw Selene¡¯s face wet with tears. [Wahh, Your Ladyship. I, sob sob, I committed a grave sin! I really have no rights to stay by, sob sob.] ¡°Forget it.¡± Did she think that I would not know she would get away like that? Chapter 41 I had to send a warning in Selene¡¯s direction so that the situation would come to an end. Anyhow, our pretty little angel Haniel had become an educated cygnet. I patted her cute little butt as she was commendable. ¡°I see. Our Haniel endured well despite being scared. But the nanny in the palace really did that to you?¡± [Yes. Like dis, she did dis!] YAP! Haniel tried her best, swatting her wing violently. Though it was not even a ticklish wind, it left an impression on me. ¡°¡­Wait, what else did the nanny do to you?¡± [She said not to call her, she tired. I kan¡¯t say I¡¯m hungry, and I kan¡¯t open my eyes too.] T/N: The words are misspelled on purpose. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± That bitch is really- As I suppressed my anger, I forced a smile at Haniel. I was suddenly reminded that I usually look like a glamorous serious older sister, and such an expression might scare the child, but Haniel had no qualms about it. [Mommyy! Haniel¡¯s mommyy!] ¡°¡­¡± Instead, Haniel hugged me, as if assuring me that I am her mother. I had wondered why she was so obsessed with her mother, but now I understood that she had no one showering affection on her. In that huge palace, amongst the countless servants and even with her numerous brothers¡­ I stopped and raised my eyebrows when my thoughts reached her brothers. ¡°Baby, why didn¡¯t you tell your brothers? You should have told your eldest brother first. He is the most powerful.¡± ¡°B, brother scarier. Brother Rashid¡¯s doggie bites Haniel! Sob sob.] ¡°D, don¡¯t cry. You don¡¯t have to answer.¡± [Sob sob.] Haniel started sobbing into her dress after imitating the people from the palace. True, since I am now trying to run away because her brother was too scary. It was no different than Selene, who asked why I could not retort back in confidence. ¡°What about your brother?¡± [Doggie bite! Bite Haniel! And he ordered it!] It was not even a family arcade. It was tougher to understand Haniel¡¯s words while she was sniffling and agitated on top of her unclear pronunciation. I needed to at least grab the gist of it to try to understand what she was saying. Just then, Selene, who blew her nose boisterously, used the hem of my dress to wipe away her tears. [Sob, so that¡¯s what happened. So your oldest brother, His Majesty, brought the massive dog to you? He ordered the dog to bite you?] [Yeahh. Not bite. Go to me.] [Ah, he didn¡¯t order it to bite you, but called it to go near you. Oh my.] [Yeah! Dat¡¯s right!] [Great! Nanny great!] ¡°¡­¡± I blinked my eyes as I watched both of them cheer each other up before me. Even after using my dress without consent to wipe her own mucus, Selene looked up at me as if seeking my agreement. [Your Ladyship must think that His Majesty overdid it, right? How could he do this to such a young child?] ¡°Yeah, I know, right?¡± Though I was not entirely sure what she had meant, I was certain that ¡®His Majesty overdid it.¡¯ Of course, anyone who had seen him at least once, would know that too. I blindly nodded along, as if I understood their conversation. I had to save my pride as a mother. [Don¡¯t gib me. They don¡¯t gib me food. They toot it all way!] [Ah, really? How upset you must have been if the maids took away all your food, Your Highness.] ¡°¡­¡± Since when did Selene have such a talent for this. I felt relieved to see them getting along so well and awkward that I started rubbing my cheeks. Haniel is my daughter. Haniel is mine! I brought her back here! I never thought that I would become this childish when I was always exhausted and struggling to make ends meet. I could not imagine sending Haniel away in the future to the neighboring country¡¯s prince. My heart wrenched at the future event. [Mommy, will Haniel not go to skool den?] ¡°Ah, right.¡± We were talking about that earlier. I quickly snapped back after looking at Haniel with complicated feelings. We might have sidetracked, but now, survival was more important than education. ¡°Sorry, Haniel. I¡¯ll send you to school when we go to a new lake. You¡¯ll meet new friends there too.¡± [Yeah, olrite!] I was afraid that she would start sobbing, but my princess seemed to be braver than I thought. Instead, she spread her wings out wide and wrapped them around my hands. [Haniel knows everything!] ¡°What about?¡± [The palace nanny said Haniel kan¡¯t go to skool! She said Haniel is a crybaby, and is a naughty baby who doesn¡¯t listen to others well, and that I don¡¯t hab any friends!] ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Let¡¯s go to school! I will definitely send you to school! Since there¡¯s a previous life, there¡¯d be a next life! [Madam, let¡¯s send her to school!] ¡°Sobbbb!¡± Chapter 42 My daughter became so brave I hugged Selene and sobbing hysterically. As Selene joined me, the pool of tears grew out of control. Haniel, who was hugging us, looked at us in bewilderment. She put herself between us and reached her head out. [Stop! D, don¡¯t cry! You kan¡¯t cry!] *** [Madam, are our decisions too impromptu?] ¡°What do you suggest we should do now?¡± I told off Selene, frustrated, as she was hanging around at the villa¡¯s entrance. Although I agree with those words from before, looking at how upbeat Haniel was, I could not bring myself to take those words back. Just for today, the admissions ceremony was her everything. [Mommyy!] ¡°Come here. You should put on your ribbon.¡± I took out the ribbon, which I had packed while we were preparing to move. It would be great if it were a red ribbon. Emotions overwhelmed after I tied the ribbon on her head while feeling regretful about the less- fitting ribbon. ¡°Ah¡­¡± My heart, hold on! Selene, too, rushing and reminding us that we were late, was overwhelmed by Haniel¡¯s cuteness. The pearls on a pig¡¯s neck, no. The ribbon on a white cygnet¡¯s neck would look different depending on who tied it. Regardless of how many new students Lady Melleo had admitted, I was sure that Haniel would definitely be the most outstanding student of all. [How regrettable. We put in so much effort today, but it¡¯s our last day too.] ¡°We can¡¯t help it. But, thankfully, we are still sending her to the ceremony.¡± [Madam, will you arrive later, then?] ¡°Yeah, you guys should go ahead. I¡¯ll follow behind you after finishing up all the packing.¡± Although the night escape was decided at the last minute, our plan had to be done meticulously. It was not easy to bring a baby along while moving lakes into other territories. Had we escaped without plans, we would have been caught without even lasting a day outside. I had carefully gone through the map, double-checked the routes and even our packed bags throughout the night. On top of that, the schedule must not be too overwhelming for young Haniel. Albeit it might be dangerous, the best strategy was to escape during the day instead of at night, carrying her in my arms. ¡°Who would think of escaping during the day? Since there¡¯s the admissions ceremony today, all the animals in the vicinity will come, and we¡¯ll take advantage of the crowd and slowly escape from the back.¡± [I got it, Madam. Let¡¯s meet at the reeds where the new students gather.] ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll move all our bags over to the entrance of the lake in advance.¡± It felt uncomfortable walking through the Winter Palace to escape the lake, but it was better than walking through the main annex. I would not be cutting through the Winter Palace, but rather through a sidewalk like the last time. ¡®Great.¡¯ The timing would be perfect, hiding the bags there in advance and then carrying her on my back and escaping after Haniel was done with her admissions ceremony! [Mommy, why aren¡¯t you goin wit us?] ¡°No, mommy will be going. Haniel is just going with nanny first.¡± [B, but¡­] Haniel was jumping around excitedly earlier, but she was now depressed. It was common for babies to have mood swings, but I got flustered as a novice mother. ¡°Why? Are you nervous? Mommy must go.¡± [Haniel waited for mommy for bery bery long. R, really bery long.] ¡°¡­¡± [Twin brother said that mommy will come if I listen to him well, but didn¡¯t. So Haniel came to lake to look for mommy.] Like that! Whimpering, Haniel spread her wings, expressing her reluctance to leave me. Her anxiety for waiting for others was so evident that it made my heart wrench once more. As I was about to speak after remaining silent for a while, Haniel¡¯s bright eyes sank. [Is mommy angry? Because you don¡¯t lik Haniel waiting?] ¡°No. Mommy knows.¡± How could I not know as a mother? I put down the baggage in my hands and knelt down before her. It was rare to have someone who knew the deep and empty meaning behind that word, wait. I¡¯ll come for you. I¡¯ll be back soon. If you stay here quietly, I¡¯ll soon¡­ ¡°Mommy will never make a promise I can¡¯t fulfill. So I might be late, but I will definitely show up.¡± [Really?] ¡°Yeah. You see that sun?¡± I looked at the frightened Haniel directly and pointed at the sun in the sky above the lake. It was still daylight, so the east sun shone into her clear pink eyes. [M, my eyes hurt.] ¡°It¡¯s blinding, not pain.¡± How could I go anywhere else without you? Chapter 43 Even in that moment, I held back the smile bursting inside of me and tapped on Haniel¡¯s beak. ¡®The sun is blinding.¡¯ As she tilted her head, trying to remember that phrase, I used my hand to shade my baby¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ll be there by the time Mr. Sun up there is above Haniel¡¯s head.¡± [Head? Haniel head?] ¡°Yes. I promise.¡± I set an exact time before she could be anxious for no reason. It was our princess¡¯s first admissions ceremony. I couldn¡¯t have her be looking around for her mom during it. [O-okaay, mommy.] ¡°Right, it¡¯s not mommy. It¡¯s Miss Black Swan!¡± [¡­mm? Not mommy again?] This time, Haniel seemed more anxious than when I had told her to wait, her shoulders trembling. It seemed like the scariest thing in the world for a cygnet was her mom disappearing. [Why is Haniel¡¯s mommy not mommy?] ¡°I am your mommy. I am, but you just can¡¯t call me that in front of other people. It¡¯s only in front of your teacher and your friends. Remember what we practiced yesterday?¡± Nervous that she might forget, I made eye contact with her and told her so clearly. ¡°You call me ¡®Miss Black Swan.¡¯ Okay?¡± [¡­..whyy?] ¡°Because¡­¡± Because your mom is the number one celeb in this entire lake, that¡¯s why. In Palladium Lake, there weren¡¯t many other figures as famous as I was. I was a Duchess, the only black swan, and most conclusively, the only one who was half-human, half-animal. It might be the same logic behind a celebrity trying not to show their children off to the public. If something went wrong, nothing good would come out of people knowing that I had taken Haniel in. As I thought, it was best for a child to grow up as normally as possible. And in front of the people of the lake, who had many circumstances surrounding them, I needed to be extra cautious. ¡°So outside, you have to call me ¡®Miss Black Swan.¡¯ Miss. Black. Swan. Try to say it.¡± [¡­Bwack Swan Mommy?] ¡°No no.¡± This kid had some tricks up her sleeve, huh. At her adorable attempt to sneakily mix in that ¡®mommy¡¯ in there, I burst out laughing. Thankfully, since I had worked all day yesterday practically brainwashing her by practicing her name, she didn¡¯t forget what her name was supposed to be. ¡°What is your name in front of Teacher Melleo again?¡± [Ha-¡­ Reina!] ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± I patted her head to praise her, then handed Haniel over to Selene. I watched the back of the little cygnet, who was chirping along the way in an effort to not forget her name, disappearing in the distance as though she was getting dragged away. I finally dusted my hands off and turned around as well. ¡°Phew.¡± So I was leaving this place after all. As someone who had found life in the lake satisfying, it was regrettable, but for the sake of Haniel¡¯s safety there was no other way. This place was swarming with both Lania and the Emperor. If I considered how our young cygnet princess could live in peace, you could even call this a zone unsafe for youths. Oh well. They say Mencius¡¯s mother moved three times for the sake of her son¡¯s education, so as a swan mother, who says I can¡¯t do the same! ¡°Hmm, perfect!¡± I took the most glamorous feather ornament I owned and pinned it next to my ear. This was what they called the elegant admissions ceremony look. It might not be very suitable for someone who will be running away, but since this was the only admissions ceremony for my baby that I would ever attend in my life, I had to pay extra attention. So what if I might take her out of the school one day? I still need to lift my dear Haniel¡¯s spirits. After wearing my very best, I collected the basket I had prepared in advance and went forth. ¡°Here we go.¡± Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, everyone had gone to the reed forest to go see Lady Melleo¡¯s admissions ceremony, so I barely ran into other animals during my path. Since we had been like family here, all cursed together and depending on each other in our own ways, I choked up a little in sorrow. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Everyone, please live well. Let¡¯s all stay alive and meet again in the future. I sped up, even as I repeated farewells nobody would hear in my head. Maybe because I had gone out to the city before, I didn¡¯t get lost. The fastest and most accurate way to get out of the lake was to walk straight down the road at the borders of the Winter Palace, in between the Palace and the Duke¡¯s estate. ¡®I better hurry.¡¯ I needed to hide my things in the willow at the entrance of the side road and go back to find Haniel. Though I had already promised her so firmly, my heart was in a hurry in case she might have started waiting for me already. Since I kept speeding without rest, I began being able to see the familiar willow that seemed to divide the boundaries. ¡°Hah, keep waiting.¡± Mommy will be there soon, so just a little more¡­. ¡°Oh my. Looks like you¡¯re heading somewhere fun?¡± *** Chapter 44 ¡°You seem very excited. Am I bothering you?¡± Slip. An ominous shadow appeared from behind the tree, and my heart dropped in my chest with a thunk. I recognized her existence before I neared her. ¡°How dare you. I have asked you a question, mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Lania.¡± After all, there was no way another person could exist in this world that harassed other people as arrogantly as she did. ¡°You should call me Lady Lania, if you know your place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I really doubted it, but to think I would meet you here of all places.¡± She made an expression as if she was both very surprised and yet not surprised at all. Like she had predicted that I would reappear here again, she leisurely stepped closer to me. ¡°After the cocky way you acted last time, I never thought you would be going around however you want like this again.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here because¡­..¡± When I looked past her, my expression fell in futility. A wire fence rose behind her, seemingly encompassing the entire boundary of the Dukedom¡¯s territory, and the side road was completely blocked by it. It was so tightly enclosed that I strained my eyes trying to find a gap in it. ¡°Why? What¡¯s with your disappointed expression?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡ªwere you really going to escape or something?¡± Her laughter ridiculing me went past my ears, and her eyes landed on the basket I held in my hands. Pfft. Her lips seemed to say ¡®I thought as much,¡¯ and the corners of her mouth relaxed as if she was playing with a mouse that was already caught in the trap. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you developed some nerves, but I didn¡¯t know you would be this reckless. Did you think that since you made it out once, you¡¯d be able to do it again?¡± ¡°Stop being so rude.¡± T/N: Starting from when she told her to call her ¡°Lady,¡± Lania has been using informal speech with her, which is probably what Catherine is talking about by calling her rude. ¡°It¡¯s you, mother, who should stop doing whatever you want and making things difficult. When I think of how big your head became just because you spoke a few words with the Emperor, you should be grateful I¡¯m keeping you alive.¡± ¡°Hah¡­. So that was it?¡± A bitter sneer burst out of me before I could stop it. I had suspected as much from when she had started being sarcastic, but once she revealed herself that clearly, I couldn¡¯t hide how drained I felt. ¡°Look here, Miss eldest daughter. Were you feeling that jealous because His Highness said he would view the lake with me? Enough to cut down a completely fine tree and anxiously block out a road like this?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Lania, I understand very well that you don¡¯t treat people¡¯s lives as worth any more than a bug¡¯s, but at the very least it¡¯s so impolite for you to use that as a way to take out your frustrations about your unrequited love. No, isn¡¯t that just embarrassing to that dignity of yours as an oh-so-important princess?¡± ¡°Shut up, Catherine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She grit her teeth so hard that her cheeks were trembling. Seeing how the girl who barely got worked up over almost anything beside herself this much, her heart towards that man must have been actually sincere. ¡°You better hold that tongue of yours well if you want to stay alive. It will be troubling if you plan to escape with your leash loose just because you got to do what you wanted that one time.¡± ¡°¡­.who¡¯s escaping!¡± But I was the same, getting angry because she hit the nail on the head. Especially when the aura around Lania sharpened fearfully, which felt like she would smash my basket to pieces at any given moment. ¡°Then what, were you going on a picnic all dressed up? One might think you managed to catch a fine enough man. If I didn¡¯t know you were a cursed black swan, mother, you might have convinced me, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what other plausible excuse you¡¯re trying to make up, but I¡¯ve already warned you. Your life, Catherine, will start and end at this lake from now on.¡± Lania¡¯s arrogant voice enclosed me as tightly as the wire fence around us. A very delighted tone of voice. She specialized in cornering people and throwing them under the bus, so there was probably no other time she would be this delighted apart from now. ¡°Open that right now.¡± ¡°Why should I!¡± ¡°¡­.my, it seems like my foolish mother still hasn¡¯t realized what situation she is in.¡± Her arms crossed, Lania haughtily lifted an eyebrow. She really reminded me of your common female bully that could be found in alleyways anywhere, who had done this kind of thing many times before. ¡°Please don¡¯t act as if I would try to take what little you have from you. I only want to compensate you according to what comes out of there.¡± ¡°You think I would have tried to steal your family¡¯s things?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not?¡± If she was any different from those female bullies, it was that Lania had the actual power to crush a person¡¯s life underfoot. ¡°My magician will be coming to see me soon. You should know them well too.¡± ¡°¡­.Don¡¯t tell me¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the very same person who generously gifted you with the feathers all over your body, mother.¡± She intentionally hit my shoulder, as if asking me if I could not remember. The truth was that when I had opened my eyes, I had already been cursed, so I had never met this magician personally. But there was no doubt whatsoever that whoever he/she was, he/she was not a good person. ¡°I¡¯ve already been cursed, what more are you trying to do? Turn me into a black swan completely?¡± ¡°No. As if I could. I do still need my mother as a human from time to time.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± She lifted her chin out, laughing ominously in a way that concealed her intentions. . ¡°But if I think about it, does it really need to be an intact human?¡± ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± ¡°You are likely mentally unsound already. I¡¯m just saying, it would be much more fitting if your body was just as unsound as your mind was.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± It was a low and dirty threat that suited her very well, but as someone hearing that threat, a chill ran up my spine unbidden. Chapter 45 If it was Lania, she would be able to do that and more. ¡°Whether your hair is long or short, whether both of your eyes are intact, whether all ten of your fingers are accounted for¡ªpeople won¡¯t be very curious about that. Nobody would pay attention to a crazy woman, after all.¡± ¡°How could you¡­¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, who would think of examining the Duchess who is known as a witch?¡± Clap! As if satisfied with what she herself said, Lania even clapped her hands together loudly. ¡°So go ahead and open that basket first.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Unless you really are running away with stolen goods, is there any reason to hesitate? If you really aren¡¯t, then you can feel free to get on your knees and beg.¡± Her question that told me I was out of options was so hateful that it was despicable. I couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do if things took a turn for the worse from here. ¡®Do I really have to beg?¡¯ That I really didn¡¯t want to. It wasn¡¯t just not wanting to, I would rather die than beg. Why should I, to someone like her! Honestly speaking, I didn¡¯t have lingering attachments to this life. I was Duchess only in title¡ªmy husband, whose face I didn¡¯t even know, had died from the start. It wasn¡¯t like I had other family members looking for me and the dream of having a kind mother¡­ ¡®Ha, Haniel!¡¯ That¡¯s right, I had Haniel! The obvious truth came to me as quite a huge shock. Who says I¡¯m alone! I may be a black swan with no possessions and unable to escape the lake like it was a farm, but I clearly had a family that let my dream come true. My baby. How worried she must be waiting for me¡ªthat white and fluffy face of hers seemed to hover before my eyes. ¡°You sure are slow to decide.¡± ¡°¡­.Lania.¡± ¡°I said, choose. If you have no qualms, then show me what¡¯s in the bag you¡¯re holding and I¡¯ll cut off your thieving wrists, or if not that¡­¡± ¡°I understand! I just have to do it!¡± I knew I wasn¡¯t in the position to be yelling, but my vision was whitening and there was nothing I couldn¡¯t say now. It would have been much better if the next action I had to take was not kneeling in front of Lania. ¡°¡­Lania, I will do as you wish, so¡­¡± ¡°No. The Duchess seems to be misjudging whose wishes she should pay heed to.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Crunch, crunch Footsteps once again rang out in the narrow side road. This time, it was not coming from the estate but the opposite. A presence I felt that was even stronger than when it had been Lania. ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­.fancy meeting you here.¡± No, it was impossible to compare. Every time he came forward, lightly stepping on the grass, the silver epaulets on his shoulders swayed as well. Though surprised, Lania soon arranged her facial expression to show due courtesy to the Emperor. Whenever I saw her do things like that, I always thought that nobles like her really were born differently. In other words, I was not a noble like that. ¡°¡­..¡± Why is that man here? Though I was in front of the great His Majesty the Emperor, I only stared at him blankly. How long had it been since I had tried to run away from him? I watched the man come right in front of me, his black cape fluttering behind him, but it all felt surreal. ¡°Duchess.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± At the sound of his pressing voice, I hurriedly recovered my senses and lowered my head, belated as I was. The black uniform he wore that was even simpler than the last suited him incredibly well. Judging from his outfit, had he come out to hunt? While I was glad that I didn¡¯t have to succumb to Lania due to the Emperor, I couldn¡¯t call this turn of events fortunate whenever I saw the glint in his eye. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The red glint that seemed to burn with fire. Those were the eyes that followed people into their dreams and frightened them. As soon as I remembered just how I had last separated with this man, I wanted to plunge my head into the lake like Selene had done. ¡°G-greetings to the Emperor.¡± ¡°Late.¡± ¡°¡­..huh?¡± There was a limit to how nonsensical one could get. I felt like I would understand more if he had unsheathed his sword and told me to crane my neck forward. Can you repeat that again? When I narrowed my eyes, the Emperor¡¯s handsome eyes narrowed the same way. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± What do you even want me to do? From my position alone, this situation was like a bolt of lightning out of the blue. Rashid at my left and Lania at my right. This was just publicly telling me to go die. One person was enough to make you nauseous, but when I had both at my side it was hard to tell who was easier on the stomach. Chapter 46 ¡°The two of you seemed to be in the middle of a great dispute.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, though I am unsure as to why you came this far, but as a noble I regret that you saw me like this. In case you might be misunderstanding, please allow me to explain¡­¡± ¡°Misunderstand?¡± The Emperor¡¯s voice was quite cold. ¡°What is it you say I misunderstand?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I worry Your Majesty might think differently of the situation in which I and my mother were raising our voices.¡± ¡°Do you mean when you were yelling at the Duchess to give that to you as soon as possible?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Or is it about how you interrogated her as if you were trying to catch someone attempting to run away?¡± The more he sounded out possibilities with a brutal smile, the more Lania¡¯s face paled. ¡°Th-that is untrue, Your Majesty! Let me explain.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°As I have said before, my mother is not quite whole in her body and heart, but she keeps trying to picnic out very far. Inevitably, I was worried. I only meant that I would accompany her and hold her bag for her.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Right, mother? Her eyes were filled with pitiful affection as she looked at me. She had even pulled out a handkerchief in no time, and she shined with filial piety unparalleled by anything else in this world, dabbing at her dry eyes. ¡°I told her she can¡¯t go very far with that body, but she is very stubborn.¡± ¡°Hmm, so you¡¯re saying it is different from what I saw.¡± Saying so indifferently, the Emperor¡¯s eyes as it looked at me turned meaningful. T/N: could also mean ¡®turned significant¡¯ or ¡®suspicious¡¯ ¡°Then the Duchess can speak for herself.¡± ¡°M-me?¡± ¡°Whether coming out this far was truly for an outing as she said, or if you had a ¡®different reason.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­..¡± What, what the heck. When the Emperor and Lania both turned to me, my heart shrunk instinctively. How should I say, I felt like both the grim reaper and Thanos was beckoning to me at the same time. Whoever I chose, I would end up in a pit of fire in hell for sure. ¡°Duchess.¡± ¡°Mother!¡± ¡°Well, of course¡­¡± And I never thought I would ever be saying this with my own mouth, but ¡®even so, at the very least, if I can¡¯t die and I can¡¯t help¡¯ but choose one of them, it would be¡­ ¡°What my eldest daughter says is correct.¡± I quickly attached myself to Lania¡¯s side. As impatient as I was, I wasn¡¯t so foolish to enter the lion¡¯s den in order to avoid the fox. ¡°I felt so stuffy staying only in the house for so long, so I only came out with the princess* on an outing. Isn¡¯t that right, my daughter?¡± ¡°Oh, um, yes, of course.¡± The pale-faced Lania became abruptly relieved and regained her smile. So you want to live after all, huh. Not bothering to hide her thinly veiled satisfaction, she stealthily pulled on my arm. ¡°Mother. You said it was the perfect weather to have a picnic today. But you must have been too excited, securely preparing like this.¡± ¡°I understand. Stop pestering me, dear. I¡¯ll give it to you now.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± That didn¡¯t mean that I would be choosing the wicked fox, however. Here, do take it quickly. I gently gave my basket to Lania. ¡°I was going to give it to you anyway; you didn¡¯t have to go that far. This daughter of mine must have been so very hungry.¡± ¡°¡­..what? What do you mean.¡± ¡°What do you mean, what? Even though you know it already.¡± Am I crazy? To join hands with Lania? Lania was frozen, not yet understanding the situation, so I helpfully opened the basket for her. Click, the iron moved, and the contents of the bag she was so curious about was finally revealed. ¡°I especially prepared this with what my eldest daughter loves.¡± ¡°Wh-what is this!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act all surprised now¡­ Oh I see, you must be embarrassed because His Excellency* is here.¡± Oh dear! I slowly looked up at him then, as if I had finally come to this realization. I shrugged towards the Emperor, who was narrowing his eyes with an unreadable expression. ¡°Please be understanding, Your Majesty. The princess* must have felt ashamed after pestering me for something as small as some snacks.¡± ¡°¡­.then those are.¡± ¡°Ye-es, as you can see, my eldest daughter simply goes crazy over these.¡± From inside the open basket, I took out and handed over the feed I had made myself. It was made with the best ingredients to give to my Haniel, so I could guarantee that it could capture the taste buds of whoever it could be. ¡°Quick, eat up. You wanted this so badly.¡± Whoever, that is, as long as they weren¡¯t human. ¡°¡­..m-mother. This kind of thing, I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Even though I prepared all of what you love just for you.¡± Dried fish jerky among other bird feed were spread out like a feast. Lania, who had just shut her mouth entirely, began breathing more and more roughly. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine, really.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been that long since you were pestering me for it. Ohh, is it because whatever a stepmother like me prepares will never be satisfactory?¡± If you¡¯re not going to use that handkerchief, let me borrow that for a while. Chapter 47 Pluck. I pulled out Lania¡¯s handkerchief from under the basket. Lania may have to dab at tears that wouldn¡¯t come out, but I was a woman who lived her entire life in an environment that made me want to cry. ¡°Sniff, so it¡¯s like that after all. I thought since you asked for it so impatiently, you were finally opening your heart to me¡­.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s not it. How can I dare, in front of His Majesty the Emperor¡­¡± ¡°I do not care.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°And here I was wondering what was happening.¡± The incredulous voice of the Emperor was laced with irritation. Exactly as I wanted, he drew a line in the air with his sharp jaw in the form of a beast. ¡°I do not care one bit about something like this, so if you want to eat it then do so.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Bothersome but still subtle. The Emperor¡¯s order that was not an order was directed at Lania. Unable to avoid his indifferent eyes, she hesitantly picked up the fish jerky in her hands. As for me, of course, all I had to do was to watch her with already tearful eyes, as if I was deeply moved. ¡°How is it? It¡¯s perfectly to your taste, isn¡¯t it, my daughter?¡± *** ¡°¡­..I apologize greatly, but I must be back to the estate.¡± ¡°Whyever so? Eldest daughter, your face looks pale.¡± ¡°Not at all. It is only that I must deal with some urgent business.¡± Urk. Lania pressed a hand to her mouth and turned on the forest road, walking away hastily. Seeing how she was turning back first even though she was in front of the Emperor she so wanted, she really must not have been able to handle it anymore. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Oh my, what should I do now.¡± I said, but not really because of Lania. As I looked at her receding figure regrettably, two thoughts suddenly sprang into my head. The first was that I was not of the fortune to spend a day clutching at my stomach from laughing too hard just because something enjoyable happened to me, because I did not live such a free and fortunate life, and¡­ ¡°Duchess.¡± The second was that I was now left with this beast all by myself. ¡°¡­..¡± No, really. What do I do now. The Emperor¡¯s hard gaze from above me was truly the greatest hurdle throughout all of human history. As frantic as I was, I ducked my head under and bent down to pick up the basket Lania had dropped. I tried to avoid him as much as possible as I put the fallen fish jerky and other bird feed back into the basket. ¡°The princess* must have been very busy. She left all these things she so loves behind.¡± If there was anyone I was most envious of at this very moment, it would definitely be Lania. Why? Because she already ran away. ¡°Haha. My daughter is not always like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Step. Even without turning my head, I could feel who the owner of the approaching steps was with my entire body. I didn¡¯t know if I was picking up fish jerky or picking up dirt¡ªI blindly packed everything into the basket as fast as I could. But when I finally straightened, the shadow that cast over my head was already a level darker. ¡°You say you came out for an outing. Is there a reason you need to be in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It almost looks like the Duchess really was trying to run away.¡± The arrogant tone of voice pouring over my head blocked my path. As a man without openings, he was as bad as that wire fence over there. Following my gaze as if exasperated, Rashid suddenly pulled out his sword. ¡°The princess* did something ridiculous.¡± ¡°¡­¡­excuse me?¡± Shiing. Something seemed to flash before my eyes, and in a moment that tight wire fence crumbled down with a crash. What in the world is this? I stared blankly down at the fence fallen on the ground as it still kicked up dust. In the meantime, the Emperor simply and indifferently sheathed his sword. ¡°A human who will run away will run away however they manage to, so there is no reason she should block it so desperately.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 48 ¡°There are so much faster and easier ways than this.¡± And here I was wondering that you were actually being a help to my life. I rubbed my bare face, feeling as if what happened to the shredded wire fence could definitely happen to me, but the Emperor¡¯s voice was quite kind. ¡°Of course, the Duchess would never.¡± ¡°Ye-yes, of course not. Why would I ever¡­¡± ¡°Right? It is not like you have several lives, enough to dare to run away before finishing a conversation with the Emperor himself, after all.¡± His lips spread faintly into a brief smile. His meaningful smile, as if he knew everything, tightened around my entire body like a chain. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? I didn¡¯t think our conversation had yet finished.¡± ¡°¡­..Your Majesty.¡± Excuse me, but, are you talking to me? No way. But first, should I tell him to stop tying the two of us together and saying ¡®our¡¯? Not knowing what to ask first, I fell into a panic. The Emperor tilted his head at an angle in response. ¡°Why do you look at me with such an expression? Didn¡¯t I say it clearly?¡± ¡°Exactly what¡­.¡± ¡®Then I will be the one to choose the price.¡¯*** ¡°Ohh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you remembered so quickly.¡± A good thing, for both him and for me. When I looked at him with my face clearly showing how much I wanted to cry, the corner of his eyes gradually bent. Not that it was a bright smile¡ªit was more of a smile a beast would make in front of a prey he¡¯d already captured because he had finally become hungry. ¡°The Duchess would not go too far and break my, the Emperor¡¯s, trust, correct?¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± I felt like I was tasting the fishiness of the fish feed in my mouth, even though I had not chewed on it. ¡°How could I forget. There is absolutely no way.¡± ¡°¡­.then tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The real reason you are out here.¡± His smile disappeared before my eyes abruptly. The red glint of his eyes became persistent, as if telling me not to even think of making excuses. ¡°After hiding so well for the past few days that I couldn¡¯t even see one hair, you come out this far for an outing.¡± ¡°I, I was simply wanting a light walk¡­¡± ¡°Looking that pretty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Gulp. I swallowed drily. Same goes for you, Emperor. ¡°I asked you, where are you going dressed up in that flashy and cumbersome outfit!¡± ¡°Ah, that is.¡± ¡­.why¡¯re you getting all mad for. Momentarily taken by surprise, I lifted my hand up to touch the black feather ornament that was at the end of his gaze. Wow, and I hadn¡¯t even stolen this. I plucked out my own feather and made it, you know. Feeling unfair, I attempted to pull it out, but the Emperor¡¯s displeased voice stopped me. ¡°Enough. I asked you where you were going.¡± ¡°¡­.Your Majesty.¡± To your sister¡¯s admissions ceremony, that¡¯s where! Alright?! I no longer had anything to fear. Huffing, I faced the Emperor. The real thing I was scared of right now was not this man, who was vicious today and would be tomorrow too. ¡®My Haniel!¡¯ Images of my white bundle of cotton princess, who was probably looking around in search of me, flashed through my eyes. When I looked straight up into the sky, the rays of sunlight hitting me directly pained me, much like what Haniel had said. ¡®I promise. I¡¯ll be there before Mr.Sun is up in the sky above your head.¡¯* Better now than later, I should go back soon and tell her that mommy is back. I didn¡¯t have time for this. ¡°Please let me go. If you let me go now, I will definitely come back for you next time.¡± ¡°And why should I do that?¡± ¡°¡­.Your Majesty.¡± Why? Why, you ask??? How would you like it if your younger sister sniffles all by herself without even her mom, and see the small child be downhearted and shrink down, when she¡¯s no bigger than a fist already! ¡°¡­.I, I will tell you the details at a later time. As for the price you mentioned, I will be sure to pay it as you wish, so¡­¡± Chapter 49 ¡°As I wish?¡± ¡°W-whatever it is.¡± Escape was out of question already, so I no longer had anything I couldn¡¯t say, nor to hesitate in saying. ¡°I just need to do whatever you want. Just please, let me go.¡± ¡°A place you need to go so badly that you ask me this desperately.¡± One of Rashid¡¯s eyes distorted, as if being folded. I knew I was becoming more and more suspicious the more I talked, but we only needed one of us to be the one kid who looked around endlessly looking during their admissions ceremony for a mom that would not be coming. That kind of wound wouldn¡¯t be forgotten even when you became an adult. It would be too much for young Haniel to bear. ¡°Your Majesty, I have already told you. I have only come out to walk around the lake.¡± ¡°¡­.you expect me to believe that?¡± The Emperor¡¯s red eyes swept over me once more, seemingly telling me that was not going to cut it. The same persistent gaze as what I¡¯d seen in the palace the other day. But unlike that time, nobody was around to stop him. Two people by themselves on a narrow forest road. His gaze was both quiet and persistent, as if even if I was eaten alive he wouldn¡¯t leave a single feather behind. ¡°I really mean it. I must go.¡± ¡°¡­¡­fine.¡± When I gasped for breath like I had been dangling off of him, the feather ornament on my head shook. Even this minute movement that was practically invisible made his set of pupils greatly narrow. ¡°Then there should be no reason you must go by yourself.¡± *** [Okaay, all new students please line up here!] Quack quack. Lady Melleo¡¯s resolute shout resounded in the reed forest. The children, who had been with their parents, were pushed to the front one by one. [Prin- I mean, Miss Reina! You need to go out there now.] [¡­.B-but.] [Hurry, you must go. Everyone else is going out there, so how can you stay back here?] Afraid that she might lag behind, Selene spread her wings and urged Haniel along. Coming all the way here, too, she had looked around several times, her reason apparent. [Madame will definitely come. She promised.] [Miz Bwack Swan not here. Miz is lost?.]* [There is no way Madame doesn¡¯t know where this is. She dominates over this entire lake.] Princess, your mother is this district¡¯s top dog, you know. What a ridiculous thing to worry about, Selene seemed to say, and she pushed Haniel into the line of new students at long last. You have to stay put, okay! As soon as Selene waved her wings as if saying so and disappeared into the back, Haniel was once again distraught in fear. [M-mommyy.] She knew her mommy wouldn¡¯t be there even if she called, but that was still the only thing she could say. [¡­Mommy!!] ¡°You have come again, I see. Let me think, did you say your name was Reina?¡± Hiccup, her little chest jumped. Lady Melleo, who had been passing through the new students, stopped her webbed feet in front of Haniel. [Why do you not answer me? We¡¯ve met before. Do you still not know who I am?] [¡­.Teacher Me, Merong.] [It¡¯s Principal Melleo. Call me that correctly. This is not your house, little lady. You won¡¯t survive here behaving in the manner of a spoiled child.] [¡­..] When Lady Melleo acted more strictly on purpose, even the children surrounding them stopped what they were doing. What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s wrong? As more whispers turned towards her increased, Haniel¡¯s head turned all the way to the ground. [¡­.So, sowwy.] [Not ¡®sorry,¡¯ say ¡®I apologize.¡¯ These are basic greetings that are a must for a lady. Reina, from here on out, you¡­..] [So you were here, Lady Melleo.] [Sir Darren.] Lady Melleo brightened at the sight of the white swan who gracefully interfered. The fact that a person as meticulous as her was being this welcoming was a testament to the swan being a very dignified and sophisticated figure. [The parents of the new students are waiting. If I may, might I ask you to personally put them at ease?] Chapter 50 [That is certainly something I should do, but as you can see I was in the middle of teaching this child her basic etiquette.] [Hmm¡­ then perhaps allow me the chance to speak.] [You, Sir Darren?] [After all, it does not suit my Lady¡¯s position to personally direct new students. Though of course, I am sure my best would never live up to how skilled you would do it.] [¡­.ahem, you flatter me, Sir Darren.] Lady Melleo cleared her throat, looking not displeased, and agreed. This was actually the first time in a long while that she hadn¡¯t found fault in what someone had said to her. [Then please do so. I¡¯ve noted this before, but she is only young¡ªshe does possess all the basic qualities she needs.] [¡­..I see.] Sir Darren spread his wings and opened her path out, just like a gentleman. He was close to being a white swan as a whole, but the slight gray that tinged his delicate figure captured the eyes of everyone around him. The new students were no exception¡ªwhen they flocked together and stared at him perhaps enviously, Darren smiled and lowered his head towards one of them in particular. [You must be Reina.] [¡­.Y-yes.] [My name is Darren. Nice to meet you.] [¡­¡­] Haniel twisted her body, perhaps because she found her second name unfamiliar. But even so, the expectant eyes through which she was staring at him was different from the way she had looked at Lady Melleo. [What¡¯s wrong? Is there something you¡¯d like to tell me?] [Are, are the mommies reawy here?] [Mm?] Darren lifted his head and twisted his neck to see the parents behind him. Maybe because she couldn¡¯t see through the grass, Haniel bounced on her webbed feet anxiously. [Is, is my mommy there tew?] [Your mommy? Um, your mommy is¡­] [Not, not my mommy!] [¡­..] No! Not at all! Correcting herself hastily, Haniel became more urgent. [Miz Bwack Swan. She¡¯s Miz Bwack Swan¡­] [Oh, she¡¯s a black swan.] [Isshe here? She pwomised to come.] Lwike this, Lwike this. Since her pinky finger was not in sight, Haniel attempted to shake her lowermost feather on her wing instead. My mommy pwomised! Wanting to find out however she could if Miss Black Swan had come, her small beak didn¡¯t know how to stop. [Vewy vewy pwetty. So cool! She¡¯s thi-is big and her wings¡­.] [Stop lying. You don¡¯t have a mommy!] [¡­¡­huh?] [I heard it all already. You don¡¯t have a mom, so you came with your nanny.] [No, nooo.] A baby duck that had been watching began stomping, saying it couldn¡¯t be true. They were all young, but they were still all a fist¡¯s size bigger than Haniel. As more and more young animals bigger than her gathered around Haniel, curiosity and fear mixed in her eyes. [¡­.it¡¯s chrue. She said she¡¯s coming.] [Liar! Even we know who Miss Black Swan is! She¡¯s a Duchess.] [My mommy said the Duchess doesn¡¯t have children. And Duchess is a black swan, but you¡¯re not.] [That, that¡¯s ¡®cause.] ¡°Over heeeere!¡± [¡­¡­] Even when everyone turned their heads in unison, Haniel¡¯s head turned the fastest among them all. Way in the distance from the reed forest, the silhouette of someone running towards them with their dress in their hands was, as Haniel had said, more beautiful and more magnificent than anyone else¡­ as well as louder. ¡°Babyyy! Mommy¡¯s here!¡± *** ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. But I did keep my promise, look.¡± Catherine made a shadow over the baby bird¡¯s head with her hands and smiled brightly. The baby bird, who had been tilting its head in wonder until then, began flailing its wings wildly amidst the other animals. Its action resembled the act of showing off, as if it was boasting proudly. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But my question is, why must I be here watching this? Standing behind a tree, Rashid frowned so hard he eventually rubbed his face. What had he even expected? From the way she had clung to his arm so desperately, asking to be let go, he had thought some important ceremony was at risk or something. No, perhaps he was more interested in who she was going to meet. ¡°Go on ahead, okay? Mommy will be right over there.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Chapter 51 That thing was the baby bird from last time, wasn¡¯t it? His passing gaze landed once more on Catherine and the bird. Bird babies looked all the same, but there weren¡¯t many that had a bright ribbon tied around its neck. ¡°Haah.¡± She had dressed herself up this much, solely for the sake of meeting a mere bird. Really, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh incredulously at this situation. ¡°If you are trying to trick me with this¡­¡± ¡°Why are you coming out!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I mean, I asked you to please just stay there, didn¡¯t I?!¡± The moment he took a step towards her, Catherine yelped and approached him hastily. Rashid scrunched his eyes at her¨C she was acting like she had someone she really needed to hide. ¡°Do you dare to¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± When Catherine went as far as to grab his arm, her grip was stronger than it looked. So strong, in fact, that the words ¡®remove yourself before I cut your arm off¡¯ didn¡¯t leave his mouth easily. ¡°¡­never mind.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± She appeared to have belatedly realized that she had taken hold of the Emperor¡¯s wrist; she let go in a flash. With the way her head had dropped deeply, she must have finally realized what situation she was in. ¡°¡­..I, I greatly apologize, Your Majesty.¡± The situation in which she would no longer have a tomorrow. ¡°That is why I had humbly requested Your Majesty to wait for a moment; you really didn¡¯t need to come all the way here.¡± ¡°You dare to tell your Emperor to hide behind a ridiculous tree like this?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Speechless, he barked out an empty laugh. What do you take your Emperor for! Though he glared at her, all Catherine did was imitate the nature of a harmless herbivore, which didn¡¯t suit her at all. She had the appearance of a glamorous peacock like no other, but she was timidly murmuring her words as if she was nothing more than a baby sparrow. ¡°Th-that is, the animals are still very young, so they could get surprised. Animals are shy as well, you must understand¡­.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re so very worried that those lousy animals will be surprised.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± His voice intentionally dripped with sarcasm for her to notice, but it was impossible that she would be discouraged like he wanted her to. In that short amount of time, she had taken the opportunity to crane her neck and peek behind the tree. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± No, really, what was this woman? Catherine was already sticking to the back of the tree, her lips glued tightly together as she looked towards the lake. The way her shoulders were shaking and her hands were gathered, and the touched expression on her face, reminded him of the wives at the nobles¡¯ admissions ceremonies looking at their children. Fine. At the very least, he was going to figure out what was such a big deal. As he stood behind her, radiating obstinacy, he followed her gaze, but¡­ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­.No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± When she quickly turned her head away like she was hiding something, the look in Rashid¡¯s eye keenly sharpened. She was being way too suspicious, but at the same time there wasn¡¯t anything he could pinpoint to accuse her of. More than anything, Catherine¡¯s purple eyes were dreamily directed solely to the lake when he, the Emperor, was next to her. ¡°¡­.that¡¯s right, that¡¯s exactly how you do it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yes, she was definitely suspicious. Rashid slowly breathed out, grabbing at his throbbing chest. He¡¯d thought it had subsided somewhat since the last time they had separated, but the relapse of this apparent illness made him crankier. ¡°If you are trying to trick me silly, give up. You really want me to believe that you came all the way here to see these mere birds?¡± ¡°¡­..mere birds?¡± Her eyes, filled with contempt anew, turned downwards as if she was belatedly succumbing. When observed carefully, Rashid noticed that this woman tended to mumble unnecessary things when taken aback. ¡°If you look closely at them, they all look different and they¡¯re all different types of species. And while you¡¯re looking closely, you¡¯ll even see that there is a bird among them that is very very extraordinarily and overwhelmingly¡­ cuter than the rest.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Chapter 52 ¡°Though of course, how would someone like me know.¡± On top of that, her obsession over keeping her life was stronger than anyone else¡¯s. When she did so, he found her so incredulous and amusing that he ended up addressing her needlessly. ¡®¡­amusing?¡¯ No. Why would I. Rashid narrowed his eyes, as if he had thought of something he shouldn¡¯t have. If he thought about it, the truly amusing thing would be himself, how he had followed her all the way here and was currently standing behind a tree alongside the woman. He frowned, seemingly displeased, and Catherine, who¡¯d been about to say something, hurriedly turned her eyes elsewhere. ¡°¡­.¡± And then she was back to clasping her hands together, facing the lake. There was nothing more than tiny baby birds swimming around, but tears were glistening from her eyes in no time. ¡°Sniff.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What in the world was up with this woman. Rashid put a hand on the nape of his stiff neck. At this point, his frustration would only be quenched if he took out his sword and cut her down as she was now, but strangely enough, he didn¡¯t really want to do that. ¡°¡­..¡± Instead, he narrowed his eyes at her. When he stared at her face to face, she would flinch and freeze and shrink like those birds over there, but when the woman didn¡¯t know he was looking at her, her eyes would be shining. The black feather, which had distracted his sight until a little while ago, fluttered in the wind along with her hair. Like looking at a precious treasure that can¡¯t be found anywhere else in the world, just like that¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t it just so very pretty?¡± ¡°¡­.No!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When he abruptly lost his temper, her face became somber once more. At her sinking gaze, Rashid swallowed harshly. It was indeed irritating that she was preoccupied with something else even though he, the Emperor himself, was in front of her, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted her to be glum like this. No, this was not the level of ¡®not wanting¡¯ that. There was something more than the light irritation that rested on the surface of his chest, something that was boiling up from somewhere deeper within himself¡­ ¡°¡­..¡± Ha, fine. That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to do? He glared at her sly feet that, unable to wait, were trying their best to put another step¡¯s distance between them. She who was anxious to get closer to the lake swarmed with flocks of birds, as if it was some kind of precious treasure of hers, spared no effort in trying to get away in any way she could when it came to him. ¡°¡­..¡± But her side figure, as she peeked behind the tree, was too serene for him to point that out to her again. Smiling by herself, then biting her lips trying to keep in a cry¡­. Her gaze as she looked out, as if she was watching someone she knew very well, was serene as well for the first time. ¡°Is that your bird?¡± ¡°¡­.I¡¯m sorry?¡± His question flew at her out of nowhere and finally got her to turn her head. When her purple eyes, tinged with a bluish light, were wholly turned to him, Rashid felt a touch of satisfaction. It wasn¡¯t like that meant anything in particular, but it was enough to ask again in a peaceful tone, at the very least without anger brimming off of it. ¡°I asked whether a bird you keep is among them there.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.. Yes.¡± I¡¯ve asked nothing; why do you tremble so. As Catherine¡¯s eyes trembled almost imperceptibly, Rashid huffed out a laugh. But since seeing how this appearance wasn¡¯t all that bad, he decided to leave it be for a little while longer. ¡°¡­. because it¡¯s a bit cute.¡± ¡°The duck?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Her eyes had been only trembling, but now it was closer to shaking. And not only that, she had put a hand on the back of her neck like he had done just a while ago, and she closed her eyes slowly. What was she up to now? Rashid was about to say something but decided against it, and he instead lowered his gaze towards her white nape that he could see through her fingers. ¡°¡­..she is a swan.¡± ¡°That thing?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Chapter 53 He didn¡¯t even look at it and responded moderately. It was just a bird¡ªwho cared if it was duck or swan. Instead of looking towards the lake, Rashid fixed his eyes on her face, as she continued to squeeze her eyes shut. ¡°Urgh¡­..¡± She looked grief-stricken somewhat when she clutched her chest like she was in pain somewhere, but that wasn¡¯t his problem. In fact, he thought this much of a reaction was better than when she had been doing her best to not even make eye contact with him. If you asked why that was better, well¡­. ¡®Because then I will find clues.¡¯ No other reason could possibly exist. Rashid fiddled with his sword idly. He examined his surroundings, as if it wasn¡¯t a person he was trying to cut down, but his own heart. ¡°¡­.¡± But no matter how much he looked around carefully, all he could see was the lake and the identical-looking birds. Big and small¡ªthat was all that could be differentiated between the birds. Which was why the woman¡¯s reaction was that much more incomprehensible. Or, wait. What if. ¡°Your, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Along with her shrill call, Rashid burst out from behind the tree as if he had some kind of inkling about something. With the resolution that he would definitely find out if that woman had a different reason she was so preoccupied for, he took long strides towards the lakeside. ¡°Your Majesty! Where are you going! Please stay here! You said you¡¯d stay here, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­.Haa.¡± Despite the way Catherine held onto his arm, belatedly surprised, Rashid¡¯s eyes found the baby swan anyway. A bird, and at most a baby bird. That was all. Other than the red ribbon she must¡¯ve tied around its neck, he couldn¡¯t find anything else special about it. Looking at the bird he couldn¡¯t even find worth sneering at, Rashid stopped in his path. ¡°¡­..¡± But even still. For some reason, it felt like that baby swan was also looking at him. Because of the loud sound, all the birds floating on the lake inevitably turned their heads towards him, but that ungainly baby swan¡¯s reaction was different. Its alert eyes, like it was really staring at a person, seemed to rapidly shake before it sank right into the water. ¡°¡­¡­¡± What the; that wasn¡¯t a doll. The baby swan sank gurgling down so fruitlessly that it wasn¡¯t even funny. He couldn¡¯t help but make a bitter smile as he watched it go down. He¡¯d thought maybe it was somehow special, since that witch was supposedly keeping it. Rashid couldn¡¯t understand why she was so attached to a bird that, as young as it might be, couldn¡¯t even swim properly that it ended up sinking. As he¡¯d expected. He extended his hand out intending to tell her to look at that wretched sight clearly, and turned to look at Catherine by his side. ¡°If the Duchess has eyes to see, then she will know¡­¡± ¡°KYAAAAAAAAA!¡± All of a sudden, her scream echoed out into the entire lake. Move! After harshly throwing his offered hand away, Catherine ran for the lake. ¡°MY BAAABYYYYY!¡± *** Oh my goodness, what do I do! The moment I saw Haniel sinking right in front of my eyes, my entire world had snapped. I hoisted the ends of my dress that wrapped around me cumbersomely up to my knees. ¡°Move, everyone move!¡± [Madam! Be careful!] ¡°My baby, where did my baby go!¡± Even before I entered the water, my breath was short. Selene, who waddle-ran up to me, tried to stand in my way perhaps to stop me, but I easily jumped over her. There was no way anyone who tried to stop me would be able to. ¡°Haah! My baby!¡± She just sank into the water with a splash, you know! She didn¡¯t even come back up! The water that surrounded my knees coldly wrapped around my legs. Where did you go! I wouldn¡¯t stop walking until I could see my child with my own eyes. ¡°Haa, haa!¡± As a black swan, I hadn¡¯t been able to feel the chill of the lake in wintertime, but it now penetrated my whole body. But if I had the ease of mind to feel this small amount of pain, I wouldn¡¯t be a mother. ¡°That b*stard!¡± Chapter 54 If you can¡¯t be nice to her, then you could¡¯ve at least hidden from sight! I hated all things in the world right now, but the very first thing I wanted to get rid of was definitely the man who was probably standing in the back over there. After bothering me however you want and insisting on coming, you end up making this problem. ¡°¡­.you¡¯re all dead!¡± Now that the cold, cold water was coming up to my chest, every single sound I made was now full of anger. Emperor or not, you¡¯re done for. If something went wrong with Haniel, then I swear I¡¯ll start with you¡­. ¡°If we die, we die together¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking to me, I suggest you stop there.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Since I will only forget what you said in the water.¡± Fwoosh. Along with the firm arm that snaked around my waist, somebody¡¯s voice brushed right against the back of my ear. A low voice that I couldn¡¯t forget even if I wanted to¡ªits owner dragged my body towards him. ¡°Move. I can¡¯t look properly like this.¡± ¡°Aah, Aaack!¡± ¡°Judging from your vocal cords, it seems I¡¯ve done something unnecessary.¡± I thought I was going to die. The coldness of his voice that seemed like not even a blade could cut through was still there, but his tone felt a little different from there. A relief of some kind, and if I wasn¡¯t hearing things, maybe even a little bit of laughter. But before I could distinguish those subtle hints, he had already turned my entire body around with his arm. ¡°Uwaah.¡± He staggered in the mud that had already reached his ankles. I staggered in the mud that was already reaching my ankles. Even if I wanted to shake off his arm, the only thing I could hold onto was a few frozen water plants. At the sound of my cold inhales and my cries of despair, Rashid¡¯s voice approached my ear once again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cling on to me, so don¡¯t struggle.¡± ¡°Waaahh-uwaah.¡± ¡°At least cooperate with me to that extent. On top of that, doing this for a bird¡­ a bird¡­¡± The suppressed voice that seemed like it was pushing something down ended up becoming strong. ¡°If you want to find your daughter.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Fine. By all means, I¡¯ll take anything. Even if I heard his words wrong, I was willing to endure it like this. After all, if anything bad happened to Haniel, I would die. Hence, from this cold-blooded man, I wanted to hear things the way I pleased. ¡°Waaah¡­ Waah-ugh¡­ She¡­ she sank here!¡± ¡°I know. I know.¡± Unlike his menacing tone, the grip of the Emperor¡¯s arm that encompassed my waist was firm. Even though it wasn¡¯t like my feet couldn¡¯t reach the bottom, he didn¡¯t seem to intend to let me go. I wildly searched through the dark water, yet I couldn¡¯t feel the soft feathers anywhere. ¡°Uwaaah, waahhh. My baby. My baby. Mommy was wrong.¡± I felt more and more disoriented as the dark water kept splashing onto my chest. ¡°Mommy will do anything as long as you live. I¡¯ll do anything. Waahh. If I can save you I will¡­¡± ¡°¡­ What else are you going to do?¡± ¡°What else? Anything she asks me to do¡­ My baaaaaaby!¡± Suddenly, my heart stopped because of the dirt he held out. I could recognize my baby no matter what her appearance was. As soon as I saw Haniel, who was hardened like a rock in Rashid¡¯s hand, I froze. ¡°MY BAAABY! Open your eyes. It¡¯s mommy, mommy¡¯s here!¡± ¡¸¡­ My. ¡¹ ¡°You¡­ you spoke! You actually spoke! My baby, she¡¯s alive! She¡¯s alive!¡± As if I could hear the weak voice, something in my heart panged, my tears following. I wondered if I had ever experienced this kind of happiness before. Unable to overcome these emotions, I abruptly buried my head into his chest. ¡°My baby is alive! She said ¡®mommy¡¯! Uwaawaahh!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What should I do? Ah, thank you!¡± As the anxiety that had built up to the ends of the sky was released, I thanked all the deities that existed in the world. Thank you so much, thank you. Chapter 55 While I was leaning against a firm shoulder, going on and on, the great gods finally informed me of two different realities. ¡°¡­ Your Ladyship.¡± First, they reminded me of who I was clutching onto with my two hands. ¡¸¡­My. ¡¹ Second, only I could hear Haniel speaking. ¡°Achoo!¡± Those were not the only two things I realized. After hearing the sneeze I let out, I realized that I was currently in a lake during the winter, and I had jumped into its ice-cold waters. ¡°Come¡­ Come here.¡± With a shaking hand, I took in Haniel, who was with Rashid. I didn¡¯t have the courage to look into his eyes, but judging by how he had kept me alive so far, it seemed I still had another day to live. If he really wanted to kill me, he would¡¯ve grabbed me by the head and submerged me in the water right there. ¡°¡­¡± Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have followed me in the first place. ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As expected, there was no answer, but I found that more reassuring. Although I had no idea what I was saying at that moment, whether I live or not was not as important as Haniel¡¯s current state. ¡°¡­Mo¡­mmy¡­ E¡­Elder brother¡­ he¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± You don¡¯t have to look. It¡¯s not something you have to look at. I wrapped Haniel with my drenched shawl, quickly loosening it from my shoulders. Judging by how she was merely blinking her eyes like a broken doll, the kid must¡¯ve been shocked greatly. With the wet mud unable to be shaken off, and Haniel starting to convulse, I grew impatient. I needed to return and wash her with warm water as soon as possible. ¡¸¡­Madam! What should we do? What happened to the Young Lady? ¡¹ ¡¸Your Ladyship! ¡¹ Starting with Selene, all the birds in the lake started making a fuss, surrounding us. Even Lady Melleo waddled over. She absentmindedly gazed at Rashid, it seemed she had figured out who Rashid was. ¡¸Oh¡­ Oh my! To think that we would meet here! I must greet the Emperor who has been given the prestigious protection of the sun god¡­¡±¡¹ ¡°Hu, what kind of birds are these!¡± ¡¸Keuheuk! ¡¹ After seeing Lady Melleo, who had fallen down backwards, my heart felt half-solemn. Although he didn¡¯t put much force into it, just being kicked by this man was a lethal weapon. What should I do? I couldn¡¯t lift up Lady Melleo, who was sprawled on the ground, instead, I could only keep swallowing back my faltering breath. ¡°Jumping into the water just for one little bird, are you insane?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While holding Haniel, I could hear his fierce scolding above my head. I was still struggling to catch my breath. ¡°¡­ What do you mean ¡®just for one little bird¡¯¡­¡± It¡¯s your little sister! There was a lump in my throat. They say that once a person is driven into a corner, they¡¯re unable to see anything. I too was like that. Wow. I was barely keeping it together. My body, which was already tired from the excitement and worrying, shivered as the wind hit it. ¡°In Your Majesty¡¯s eyes it may just be a little bird, but to me, it¡¯s the only family I have left! It¡¯s a family member that¡¯s even more important than my life! Heugh.¡± ¡°¡­ So you think you did well because of that?¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do when my child¡¯s drowning in front of me? Heugh. If you have to hesitate over this kind of stuff, it¡¯s like you guys aren¡¯t family. Heugh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Heugh¡­ You don¡¯t even know a-anything¡­¡± As soon as I said those words, my rationality started to return to me. I didn¡¯t want to say those last words, but seeing that with his personality, he had no remarks, there was a chance he might¡¯ve not understood. Seeing Lady Melleo, who was rolling on the ground with all of her dignity lost, every single drop of rationality returned to me. Before I become like her, I better come back. ¡°Ah¡­¡± However, things did not go my way. Two thick somethings were placed on my quietly retreating shoulders. They were almost like shackles, yet they were shining brightly at the same time. As I slowly turned, the appearance of a brightly shining brooch with the Imperial family¡¯s symbol filled my view. Chapter 56 ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty¡­ there is no need for you to¡­¡± ¡°And what kind of curse are you going to get if I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­¡± How did he know? If anything happened to Haniel, I couldn¡¯t be sure that neither I nor this man could be standing properly like this. However, rather than me being scared by this, I wondered if this man was even scared of anything in this world. ¡°Well. It¡¯s not even that big of a deal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Emperor inhaled, his hair completely wet with droplets running down from his hair tips, the water collecting in the area of his foot. Because his clothes stuck tightly onto the body that had escaped his cloak, the curves of his firm body could be fully seen. After staring at him absentmindedly, I hurriedly turned my head away from him. ¡°¡­ A-Anyways, it¡¯s not just a bird.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± The voice that came after was as sunken in as his wet body. However, it was a little gentle. It would be nice if he was like this usually. After thinking about it that far, I suddenly shivered. ¡°It¡¯s a life too, you know? She has eyes and a nose, imagine how much she would¡¯ve liked it if you spoke to her gently.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that since life is important¡­¡± Hours before, I was trying to avoid this man. Although I knew it wasn¡¯t going to work out at all, since these were words I really wanted to say, courage was summoned. ¡°She wants to continue living this badly, as her mom- I mean, as an adult, I have to protect her. Even if I weren¡¯t an adult¡­¡± ¡°Then, what about your life?¡± ¡°Yes, my¡­¡± I genuinely don¡¯t know how to respond to this. However, there was no chance I would reply with ¡°no¡± if he asked me whether I wanted to live or not. This is because I am a woman who wishes especially more than others to live happily with a loving and endearing family for a very very long time. There was something more valuable than my life now only because there was someone I had to protect. I didn¡¯t feel wronged nor did I consider it a waste. Because I didn¡¯t know how to explain these feelings to the man who walked with blood marking each of his steps, I hesitated for a long time. I wondered if my lips were frozen from the cold. ¡°¡­¡± Regardless, he was not someone I could dare keep waiting. With him walking by my side, this was also the reason why I couldn¡¯t slow down my pace. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine the way it is now¡­¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like he asked in the first place. His displeased mood even filled the Emperor¡¯s wet cloak to the brim. It even felt more suffocating to be outside of the water, only Haniel was covered securely in vain. At this point, mommy might die from suffocation outside of the water. However, being offered a single rope when I wanted to die was how my life was like. After passing over the small hill, the Duke¡¯s residence started to come into view. ¡°Ah¡­¡± It¡¯s home! My home, it¡¯s my home! Other than the fact that I was captured after trying to run away from here, there was no place that was more cozy than home. My staggering steps eventually regained its strength. ¡°Call in the attendants immediately. Tell them to prepare a bath and food¡­¡± ¡°¡­Will¡­ Will you come in?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This woman. With indescribably complicated eyes, he turned to look at me. What do you mean to prepare a bath and food! This man seemed to have completely mistaken things. Couldn¡¯t he tell from the state of the building, without a single light on nor any people around? If I opened this door right now, there would be nothing but half-dried fish jerky to see. Once again, this was definitely not something worthy to show the Emperor. [Maa, b-bwother scary.] And above all else, I needed to drag this man out if I wanted to melt down my rigidly frozen princess. After trying to think up numerous excuses, I ended up making a long face. Chapter 57 ¡°My deepest apologies, Your Majesty, but as you know I have become alone after sending off the Duke, and I fear that if I bring someone into the house, others may misunderstand¡­¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense. If you don¡¯t like it, just say you don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Yes, I don¡¯t like it. Honestly. When I looked up at him plaintively, Rashid¡¯s red eyes narrowed menacingly. When I¡¯d first seen him do that, my heart had practically frozen, but maybe I¡¯d become more used to it¡ªI found it a bit more bearable now. ¡°N-next time, someday. But today¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..Enough, just keep your promise.¡± Just like his footsteps pivoting away from the house, his voice turned cold once more. Had the honeyed voice I¡¯d heard back in the water been only a dream? My baby, did you hear it then? I squeezed Haniel into my arms and tried whispering into her tiny ears, but there was no way she was going to answer. I really must have heard wrong. As I swallowed down the words that nobody would believe and turned back, something came into my eyes. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The footprint of that man, where water, and not blood, was pooling in. *** ¡°Your Majesty! Are you alright! Viscount Dion was appalled as soon as he saw Rashid, completely wet, as he came back to the royal villa. He hurriedly thrust his fingers towards the villa¡¯s servants, standing in two rows. ¡°What are you doing just standing there! Hurry, go heat up the bathwater and prepare some food! No, go light a fire in the fireplace first. And get some warmly heated brandy¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.how noisy.¡± When Rashid raised one hand and appeared to find everything tiresome, their movements stopped as one. Step, step¡ªevery time he took a step, drops of water fell onto the ground. At the news that the Emperor had come, Peyton and Tenon ran out to greet him. ¡°Your Majesty! What happened!¡± ¡°How could this be!¡± ¡°¡­.there is no need to fuss.¡± ¡°What do you mean, fussing? This is a given!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± A given, huh. Rashid slowly scrutinized all the people that surrounded him. To be showered with excessive interest in the mere act of coming and going, it was truly a given if he thought about it. Though that didn¡¯t seem the case with someone he knew. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°What in the world happened, Your Majesty? Did you perhaps fall into water? If by any chance you were attacked¡ª¡± ¡°Impossible. Why would elder brother fall into water? If someone pushed, maybe, but no¡­¡± ¡°Move.¡± He mercilessly pushed aside his younger brothers, who apparently couldn¡¯t even consider that he¡¯d gone in to save someone. Well, it was something even he wouldn¡¯t believe himself. ¡®¡­..¡¯ No, in fact, even now he still couldn¡¯t explain why he¡¯d done so. He remembered up to when he¡¯d been laughing at the woman who kicked up a fuss over a mere baby bird drowning in the water very clearly. But after that, even he found everything to be hazy. ¡®Are you crazy!¡¯ When he¡¯d come back to his senses, water had already come up to his knees, and in the next moment, his arms were wrapped around the woman¡¯s waist. And among his dim and confusing memory, only the feeling of how she had struggled in his arms remained intact. ¡°Your Majesty, do you have a fever? Your face¡­¡± ¡°¡­.shut up.¡± Rashid shoved Tenon, who had been staring fixedly at his forehead, away. To Tenon, this was nothing out of the ordinary, but today for some reason, he stared at his brother after he was shoved. ¡®It¡¯s still a life. It has eyes and ears, so you should be careful¡­.¡¯ (quote from Chapter 41! Once that¡¯s uploaded, will need to change) ¡°Your Majesty, if may I ask why you are looking at my ears.¡± ¡°¡­..never mind.¡± You were also a life. Rashid made an expression as if to say he had realized something useless, then began to take off his wet shirt. Instead of being hurt, his younger brother standing there so serenely and yet so blankly made him smile bitterly. But the real problem was that his actions, which he¡¯d had no problem doing up until now, was rubbing him in the wrong way now, as if he was being restrained by someone. ¡°¡­.seriously, how much more will this witch¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Just take this.¡± Chapter 58 While mumbling in dissatisfaction, Rashid gave his discarded shirt over to Tenon. In truth, this wasn¡¯t the kind of thing an Imperial Prince should be doing, but Rashid¡¯s personality did not permit him to trust other people. It would be different if they were in the Imperial Palace¡ªbut here, the only people he could trust to wait on him now were his brothers. ¡°Now leave.¡± ¡°Please give me all the other garments too. I will tell them to remove them all at the same time.¡± Before his elder brother¡¯s mood soured, Tenon extended his hand in order to take the rest of his garments. If the Emperor¡¯s outfit, out of everyone¡¯s, was dirtied, then there was no way that he would wear it for a second time. Only after he had received the pair of pants along with the shirt did he begin to leave, but something still remained in Rashid¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­..¡± A red ribbon. No, a ribbon that was probably red before. Though the Emperor had steadily handed over everything else, he spent a long time especially staring at this one string that was wrapped around his fingers. It was beyond just a slight, passing gaze. As if he was met with the Emperor of an enemy nation, he showed a complicated yet strong obsession towards it. Only after he became aware of his brothers¡¯ eyes did he stop. ¡°Take this as well.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Though I wonder what it is.¡± Peyton received the ribbon from Rashid¡¯s hand and titled his head. He found this red industrial ribbon, seemingly worthless even at a second glance, unfamiliar. ¡°Then please rest. I will take these and instruct them to do away with¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± After Rashid had stripped off his last garments, he slowly brought a hand up to the back of his neck. The place where a certain person¡¯s hands had touched. His entire form stiffened, Rashid¡¯s body twisted a bit sideways and looked back. ¡°Bring that back to me.¡± *** [Madam, what do we do. I can¡¯t find the princess¡¯s ribbon anywhere.] ¡°Really? It should be here somewhere.¡± I stopped drying Haniel¡¯s chin and looked towards Selene. She had been poking around for a while now, and it appeared that she¡¯d been looking for the ribbon. ¡°If you can¡¯t find it, oh well. Leave it.¡± [But it was the only ribbon we had. We cut it off from where it was attached to the skirt that time, so we don¡¯t have any more red ones.] ¡°It¡¯s fine if we don¡¯t have the ribbon. And is that the problem right now?¡± Even though our Haniel just came back from the dead! I spread out my towel and brushed off Haniel¡¯s body with it, tapping. Actually, since even the towel was black, I did lament the lost red ribbon. It was the same when we searched the wardrobe. If I wanted to get some red cloth, I would have to go to the town, but even that was out of question now. ¡°Pheww. We¡¯re doomed.¡± [But really, what happened? Were you caught by Lady Lania while you were running away?] ¡°Just¡­ It just happened that way.¡± [That doesn¡¯t make sense. That you came back alive even though you were caught by Lady Lania.] ¡°¡­.About that.¡± That was because I wasn¡¯t caught by Lania, I was caught by the Emperor. That¡¯s how I came back alive. It was the truth, not a lie, but it seemed more like a lie than the truth. Anyhow, both my mind and body were hitting bottom in exhaustion too much to be sitting the duck down and explaining all of that. Haniel and I both shared the experience of surviving after sinking into the lake, but the difference lay in our schedules after that. As soon as we entered the house, putting on the fire, boiling up water, working milk powder in and making soup. All those things were what I, the human, had to do. Up until now, I¡¯d regarded it as being obvious, but on days like this it was certainly burdensome. ¡°Achoo!¡± Plus, the more I was contracting a cold, the more my nose was clogging. I still had so much I need to do¡ªwhat should I do? No matter how I thought about it, with this stamina¡­. [Uwa, uwaaaaah.] Chapter 59 ¡°Baby!¡± I¡¯ll do it. Whatever it is, I have to. Washing and drying off our princess was my duty as a mother, as well as my reward. There was no way working was always and only tiring. After all, another work that would strike a chord in my heart would always be waiting for me, like this. ¡°Are you feeling alright now? Do you think you can talk a little? [Ye, yesh. Ngaa. Miz Bwack Swan come and do, do dis and, and lwike diiis.] ¡°Ohh.¡± What did that mean. As much as I loved Haniel, there were things that were and weren¡¯t possible even with motherly love. When I obviously didn¡¯t know what to do with this child who had started gulping and spilling out words as soon as she unfroze, Selene confidently pushed me aside. [Please come to the side. So you mean, you wanted to be the best at swimming and show that to Madam¡­.] [Y-yeash! But tweeee, brother go boom. Bro-brother do lwike dis, pyuuuu. Uwaah, huu.] [But then from behind the tree, His Majesty the Emperor came out? And from then on, you were so surprised your wings just stopped working on their own, and you gurgled down into the water?] [Yeeaash!] ¡°¡­..¡± I had to give it to Selene on this point, at least. After she went through all the spots of interest like a Haniel-exclusive expert translator, she pulled up her shoulders proudly. [You heard her too, right Madam? As soon as the princess saw His Majesty the Emperor, she must have gone into shock. Young children do tend to freeze when they¡¯re surprised.] ¡°¡­..it¡¯s not only young children.¡± I freeze the same way when I see the Emperor, you know. Keenly understanding how she felt, I embraced her again. Her wing joints were still frozen, not completely loosened yet. When I pulled her wings and her legs in a massage, her thinner-than-fingers feet began to flap. [Mi-Miz Bwack Swan.] ¡°It¡¯s mom now. We¡¯re home, so you can call me mom.¡± [Mooom. Sniffle.] Only after I heard her calling me clearly was I able to breathe normally again. It felt like only now the anxiety, which had been stuck in me somewhere even when I knew that Haniel was fine, completely disappeared. ¡°Thank goodness. Oh, thank goodness.¡± [Madam, I already conveyed everything the princess said to you. Why were you worrying?] Selene once again put on airs and stiffened her neck. She was gesturing to me to brush down her neck, too, but I only glanced at her sideways. They say there is no tree that bears no fruit¡ªwhile I am surprised that even you have a side like this, if we¡¯re talking about unexpectedness, it was that tyrant guy that truly saved us¡­ ¡°A-anyways, you can¡¯t judge a person by their appearance.¡± [I have no idea how you came to that conclusion, but you¡¯re not wrong.] ¡°¡­..just hold out your neck already.¡± As she wanted, I scratched down Selene¡¯s neck nicely after she spoke the truth for the first time in a while. Maybe because that was a spot her wings didn¡¯t reach, she shook off her body afterwards, refreshed. [Moom! Haniel too! Haniel too, do scratch scratch!] ¡°Okay okay, you too.¡± As the two birds came closer trying to be the one caressed, my two hands both became busy. I also brought the still-shaking Haniel closer to me and whispered into her ear again. ¡°¡­..he might not be as scary as you think, Haniel.¡± *** ¡°Sister, how long are you going to stay like this!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Ugh, sis-ter!¡± In the deepermost main room of the Dukedom, where Lania sat straight with her two hands together, her two eyes snapped open. Even though she had been shaking her elder sister until a while ago in order to get her to listen to what she had to say, as soon as she was met with her sister¡¯s glare, Rebecca was frightened out of her wits and backed away. ¡°¡­.wh-what. Why so suddenly.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Ronin?¡± ¡°Why do you keep calling on him? No matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s just so¡­. And why should I, a lady, have to do that?¡± ¡°Then should I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chapter 60 ¡°Rebecca, I¡¯ve said this several times, but that¡¯s your job. Or, more accurately, the job you set yourself up for.¡± Even as Rebecca grumbled, Lania was cold to the end. At her subtle tone of warning, Rebecca chewed on the insides of her mouth. The words ¡®only you can do it¡¯ could mean trust if you took it positively, but also ¡®at least do that¡¯ if you took it negatively. ¡°I told you to keep an eye on that woman properly. But you dare to make her think of escaping?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you harassed her too much. And I heard she wasn¡¯t even escaping? That in the basket, there was nothing but dried fish jerky¡­.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Though Lania¡¯s motto was to be calm and elegant, she fisted her hands and slammed them down onto the table. Seeing this side of her elder sister for the first time, Rebecca conceded, unable to talk back any longer. No matter how much sense she may lack, she had no idea what circumstances she would find herself in if she went out of her sister¡¯s good graces. Actually, it wasn¡¯t only her circumstances in question. Rebecca thought about her boyfriend, who had left the Northern Lands for quite a while now. When they would be able to meet again depended all on when her sister would call him back into the Northern Lands. ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll keep an eye on her really well now.¡± ¡°Rebecca, if that woman tries any funny tricks, do you think the aftermath will stop here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but she¡¯s been stuck there nicely up until now. I¡¯m not sure why she¡¯s suddenly gone crazy and running amok now, but¡­.¡± ¡°Gone crazy?¡± That woman? As if finding it ridiculous, Lania¡¯s sneer was frightening. This was usually the smile that she¡¯d always hidden behind a fan, but in this place there was nobody she had to do that to. Be it her muddle-headed, thoughtless younger sister, or the man standing at the door with bated breath. ¡°What are you doing? Not entering when you¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°As expected of the lady.¡± Ronin entered without the door making a single sound, his long robe dragging on the floor. Not knowing that he had come, Rebecca raised her head without thinking and came face to face with his pasty white face. ¡°Mmph.¡± Just looking at him gave her the chills¡ªshe unconsciously rubbed her arms. Her sister sat there nonchalantly despite being in front of such a man, which Rebecca found scary more than impressive. ¡°Unfortunately, it seems the second lady does not find pleasure in my presence.¡± ¡°M-more than that¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­. Perhaps the lady is still not over the incident from before¡­.¡± ¡°No way! And how dare you speak so rudely!¡± Rebecca squawked at Ronin when he tilted his head towards her. Held in contrast with his pale complexion, her reddened cheeks made her seem like the only person in this room who was still alive. ¡°¡­.Rebecca, why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± ¡°I, I am!¡± When her sister¡¯s gaze coupled with an expression of annoyance at the noise was added, Rebecca opened the door and left like she was running away. From the way her stomping footsteps rang all the way through the corridor, it appeared that her anger was not completely gone as of yet. ¡°The younger lady is always full of energy whenever I see her.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± ¡°My, Lady Lania, you are the one especially full of energy today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His meaningfully smiling lips were peculiar. Rather than being red, they were tinted with more of a dark purple. With the corners of his lips climbing up so high, she could have hesitated, but Lania¡¯s intention was to get to the point. ¡°And there? Did you go there?¡± ¡°Of course. It was a certain somebody¡¯s order, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I found it very cleanly cut, but as you had said, my lady, no magic was involved. If anyone could cut down a wired fence made of steel like that, then isn¡¯t it obvious who it would¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°But why would His Majesty!¡± Lania bit her lip, her expression more complicated than it appeared. ¡°My headaches aren¡¯t ending. I¡¯m already at my wit¡¯s end because of that woman Catherine, and now why His Majesty of all people¡­¡± Chapter 61 ¡°And that¡¯s not because you think of those two people together?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lania¡¯s gaze sharpened towards Ronin, who had pinpointed her intentions precisely. But soon, she furrowed her eyebrows, as if that made no sense. Out of question. He was a man who rarely even spoke to other women from when he¡¯d been the Crown Prince. Since his thoughts were always written on his face, she had no need to think of other reasons. Inconvenience and indifference. To him, a woman meant nothing except for those two things. That would be obvious even if you only saw the passing look in his eyes from afar. Others found that look frightening and would be petrified by it, but she had found it to be much more fortunate, since it meant that she could gain more time while keeping that much of a distance. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. That woman is so good at doing crazy things that he must¡¯ve found her incredulous.¡± ¡°Of course. She is a crazy witch after all.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Even when Ronin spoke words of agreement, Lania¡¯s expression did not loosen at all. No, it actually became more twisted. Because she knew best that the woman was not a crazy witch at all. ¡°Anyways, I was trying to say there hasn¡¯t been much going on while you were gone. She knew her place and didn¡¯t cross the line.¡± ¡°That she did. And so my lady did not impose anything special on her.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know what wind caught her fancy and is making her do this. Daring to stand up against me, then even thinking of escaping.¡± ¡°¡­..Escape, you say?¡± ¡°What have you been listening to until now? You can¡¯t trick my eyes. She was definitely intending to escape.¡± A picnic, that was nonsense. Up until the moment the Emperor had arrived, she had been positioning to kneel before her, even. Though she wasn¡¯t sure why she would have fish jerky in her basket¡­. ¡°Aaaack! That witch, I¡¯ll just!¡± ¡°Please calm down, my lady. If that is the truth, then shouldn¡¯t you be thinking of it in a different manner?¡± ¡°What different manner. You said His Majesty cut down the wire fence himself! The land there is technically under the royal villa¡¯s possession. If I put up a new wire fence there, what am I to do if he directs his rage towards me?¡± ¡°Oh my, so in things like this, even you are reduced to becoming a mere lady.¡± ¡°If you have something to say, say it!¡± ¡°I only meant that you are logical in all else, but lose your intelligence when it has to do with His Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already said this to Rebecca, but that woman has never been like this up until now. She has always been more cunning than anyone else in survival. She knows that nothing awaits her but death outside of this, so how would I know the reason she¡¯s acting like this now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. As the one who cursed her, I know very well that she feared death more than anyone.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Master, think about it. If a woman who is neither crazy and has nothing to lose risks death in order to absolutely leave¡­.¡± After calling her the title she currently liked most to catch her attention, Ronin rolled words off his snake-like tongue. ¡°That would mean something more important to her than survival must have appeared.¡± *** ¡°Haniel, Haniel. Our princess!¡± I hugged my dear princess while even singing her a tune, but she remained sulky. The shock she¡¯d gotten from her brother¡¯s appearance was formidable, but the three-year-old baby¡¯s worries did not stop there. [Not hea! It¡¯sh not hea!] ¡°What do you mean, your mom isn¡¯t here. I¡¯m right here.¡± [Ribbon ish gone! Sob.] In my arms, Haniel lifted her two wings up towards her head, though she couldn¡¯t reach it no matter how much she tried. I had to give it to her¡ªthe brother that shouldn¡¯t have appeared had appeared, and the ribbon that should be there had disappeared. To her three years of experience, this was the biggest double shock she¡¯d received, and it rapidly knocked her down onto the ground. Chapter 62 [It, it¡¯sh not hea! Bro, brother¡¯sh hea!] ¡°¡­..baby.¡± What a drama queen you are. I lifted Haniel back up where she was, pitifully collapsed to one side like a true heroine. No thoughts, head empty. *** Seeing how my first reaction was to find this adorable and laugh, it seemed as a mother, I didn¡¯t regret the lost ribbon as much as she did. Also, I was pretty resigned about ¡®her big brother¡¯ by now too. ¡°Haaaaahh.¡± [Why are you sighing, Madam? I¡¯m the one who wants to sigh the most.] ¡°Why you, Selene?¡± [Tha-that¡¯s because our princess has been missing school for a few days already.] Though she¡¯d been locked in sorrow along with me at my side until now, Selene hurriedly began to arrange Haniel¡¯s feathers nicely. Don¡¯t pretend like you¡¯re thinking of her now! I used the palm of my hand to push away her yellow beak once more. ¡°They¡¯re not unexcused absences but a sick leave due to shock, okay? I¡¯ve already told Lady Melleo that too.¡± [Lady Melleo has been in bed down sick herself after she was kicked away by His Majesty the Emperor, you know. And who tells the principal that? You need to tell the homeroom teacher. We shouldn¡¯t be here¡ªeven if it¡¯s now, I should go and¡­.] ¡°Go where. Even though you didn¡¯t have the slightest interest in her education. Now that I think about it, haven¡¯t you been suspicious from last time?¡± [¡­¡­] No matter how hard I looked at her, Selene¡¯s tightly closed beak did not open. Honestly, she was a very cunning duck with many secret schemes hidden in her arms at all times, just not as evil as Lania. Whatever. I¡¯ll die of suffering at this rate. Besides, there was something I¡¯d heard that made my ears perk up more than trying to interrogate and hear about questionable motives. ¡°But Haniel has a homeroom teacher now? Really?¡± [Of course. Have some interest in the princess, please.] ¡°¡­.it¡¯s you who shouldn¡¯t be crossing the line.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at how incredulous that was, but at the same time it was very amazing. To think our baby had a homeroom teacher now! Others were apparently deeply moved at every toddling step and every ¡®mama,¡¯ but as someone who¡¯d become a mom a bit late, I slightly exceeded that line. The smallest little change that overcame Haniel made my heart race madly. Mothers, hurrah! This was all possible because I¡¯d become a mother. As the first proper smile I¡¯d shown in a few days, I looked at Haniel with proud eyes. ¡°My baby, do you really have a homeroom teacher now?¡± [Ye-esh. Noo teacher.] ¡°A new teacher? Ohh.¡± That was right, I remembered how last time Lady Melleo had said she had invited a new teacher. Even still, if this was a teacher that Lady Melleo would like, they wouldn¡¯t be your normal level of strict. Worries followed the understanding. ¡°Does the new teacher treat you well? Like, if he acts scary to you and all¡­¡± [Noo. I lwike teacher. When Haniel was blublub in water, teacher push me lwike dis¡­] ¡°What are you talking about. The one who saved you was your big brother.¡± [¡­..] S-sorry. As soon as I brought up her big brother, Haniel returned to being a drama queen. Looking at the duck and the swan who had rapidly collapsed to one side together, as if they were holding some kind of protest in front of me, I smiled at them with mixed feelings. ¡®But it¡¯s the truth.¡¯ No matter what happened, it was the Emperor who had scooped Haniel out of the lake that day. I had also gone in, of course, but with my mentality completely out the window and my eyesight hazy, I couldn¡¯t guarantee that I could¡¯ve saved her safely. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t swim; I couldn¡¯t guarantee that I would¡¯ve been able to save myself, much less Haniel. [Moommy. Bwother scawy. Don¡¯t say bwother.] ¡°Mmm.¡± But with Haniel this frightened by her brother, I didn¡¯t feel good about going so far as to emphasizing that. And if I were to explain, how would I even. Do I say, your brother isn¡¯t as much the alone-by-myself-in-this-world despot as you think he is? Or that on some days, water pools in his footsteps instead of blood? Chapter 63 ¡°Hahh.¡± The more I thought about it, the more complicated it got. However¡­ Even if it wasn¡¯t her brother, I just wanted her to know who she owed her life to. But technically, he was also the one who basically shoved her into the water in the first place. ¡°¡­..let¡¯s give that up.¡± That man was just reaping what he sowed. Yes, that was all. Thinking about it that way eased my heart the most for me currently. [She sighs again. Madam, at this rate you¡¯re going to contract illnesses you don¡¯t even have. No wait, since you already have a cold, have you already contracted an illness? Shouldn¡¯t you be eating medicine?] ¡°This is nothing.¡± As I said so, I sniffled and wiped my nose. If this cold was all I got after falling into the wintry lake, I¡¯d put up a pretty good defense. Besides, now I had a family I could hug altogether¡ªin my past life, all I had was the single pill for my cold I¡¯d bought from the pharmacy. Even if I coughed, I¡¯d had no alarmed nannies taking steps back from me, nor babies to blow on my forehead when I had a fever. ¡°The medicine I have now is much better.¡± [What medicine. You haven¡¯t even set your eyes on any.] ¡°¡­..¡± I even watched Selene grumbling with a smile on my face, my chin propped up by my hands. I was increasingly having more days when I was laughing at situations I shouldn¡¯t be laughing at, which didn¡¯t feel all that bad. [Speaking of which.] ¡°¡­..¡± [Madam, what¡¯s the plan?] If only she hadn¡¯t said that, this would¡¯ve felt even better. [It¡¯s like that. If I think about it now, running away seems out of question, and Lady Lania doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯ll let you go any time soon, and even His Majesty the Emperor ended up coming. What are you going to do now? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have any plans at all?] ¡°Of course not. I have something in mind.¡± [¡­..again?] You asked, so I said yes. What are you being all anxious for. ¡°This time, it¡¯s for real. For security reasons, I can¡¯t tell you immediately, but you only need to watch from afar.¡± [Wow. Really? You really have a plan like that?] ¡°¡­.of course.¡± As if I would. I can¡¯t believe she still doesn¡¯t know better. The result of working my hardest to prepare a nightly escape ended in the side road being blocked and the fish jerky being taken. Plus, after trying to avoid the Emperor at all costs, in the end I¡¯d only become more indebted to him. And so I had learned after this series of experiences, one certain truth. ¡®Having no plans is the best plan.¡¯ With my luck, whatever plan I made, it would never work exactly as I wanted it to. The more I struggled, the deeper I¡¯d only fall into the pit. If there was one time, a single time I¡¯d succumbed to fate and was blessed, that would be this princess here waddling on top of my lap. Which meant that no matter how much I pushed her away, my daughter would always end up in my arms. ¡°I am completely serious. This is going to have an accuracy rate of 100%.¡± I could guarantee this with my entire life that was more movie-like than movies. Don¡¯t fret and try too hard; if I leave my body to the flow of the world, I will somehow live to the next day and open my eyes once more. So instead of making plans that won¡¯t even work and having my hopes dashed, I decided to make nurturing Haniel well, which was a considerably smaller chunk, my new goal. ¡®This year¡¯s goal is¡­. Haniel¡¯s perfect attendance award!¡¯ Easy to say, but to someone like me whose quest was to stay alive every day, it was a lofty dream. But if I said this was my plan to Selene, it was plain as day how she would respond, which was why I kept my composure the best I could, as if I had ¡®something¡¯. ¡°You¡¯ll see, but I won¡¯t be doing things so strenuously like I did last time.¡± [So Madam always has a plan!] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chapter 64 Well, seeing how I¡¯d finally gotten the trust of the difficult nanny as soon as I had given up on planning, this wasn¡¯t a bad start. Riding on that positive note, I hurriedly rushed about preparing for Haniel to go to school. If I wanted her to get a perfect attendance award, more sick leaves than this would be hard. ¡°Haniel, you don¡¯t have any more fever, right? You¡¯re going to talk well and listen well, right?¡± [B-but, it¡¯sh gone! Ribbon ish gone!¡± ¡°Are you very upset?¡± [Mommy gave it. Haniel¡¯sh mommy gave it to Haniel.] Sob. As resigned as I may be about the world, I couldn¡¯t help the way my heart broke seeing how sad my baby was about what she didn¡¯t have. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Mommy will buy you one next time. If I can¡¯t, then at least in the next world.¡± [No, no! It¡¯sh okay!] [You two bring me right to tears, I can¡¯t even watch this. Wait here.] ¡°Selene, where are you going?¡± When I called Selene to a stop while she was suddenly stepping out of the villa, she puffed up her cheeks, like she was making an expression that said ¡®how pathetic.¡¯ [To tear through my nest, of course. If we twisted that and made a rope, we can at least make something like a ribbon.] ¡°Your nest? But it hasn¡¯t been long since you made that!¡± [What can I do. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be bringing this with me when I die, so it comes down to storing this up for use at times like this.] ¡°¡­..¡± Sis, you¡¯re so cool! Destruction of your current property is the best! Selene, as she waddled confidently away, couldn¡¯t have been more reassuring a figure. Haniel also lowered the wing that had been searching for her ribbon and sneakily raised her head. ¡°Selene, you¡¯re so cool!¡± [Nanny sho coo!] [My goodness. How are you two going to live without me? I really can¡¯t let my guard down.] But though she had headed out with all the expectations of mother and daughter, Selene came to a stop as soon as she stepped out the door. Don¡¯t tell me she was regretting that decision now. While I was planning on observing her further, she soon came back in in a hurry, dragging a huge basket with her. [Ma, Madam! This is also all a part of your plan, right?] *** ¡°So. You sent it?¡± ¡°Yes. As you commanded, we left it in front of the door.¡± ¡°¡­and the response?¡± From where he¡¯d been wiping down his sword, Rashid raised his head discreetly at Tenon, who had returned. In the reflection in the clear surface of the sword, which was said to slice down the cores of evil itself, the red glint of his eyes was more vivid than ever. ¡°There was only one duck. It did not appear to be trying to grab it and run, so I let it go.¡± ¡°A duck? Not a swan?¡± ¡°While I am not completely sure, judging by the size it was a duck.¡± ¡°¡­.well, that¡¯s the same as that.¡± More importantly, what was up with all these birds. Every time he was close to becoming familiarized to one thing, something else would demand his attention, which automatically raised his irritation. But his watching younger brothers seemed to be surprised at something entirely different, ¡®I can¡¯t believe elder brother just distinguished between a swan and a duck.¡¯ *** Transcending plain indifference, he was a man that appeared to have no human emotions at times. He differentiated between people based on whether their heads were still intact on their shoulders, so when it came to animals¡­ At most, he could probably recognize his own hunting dog and the swan the Queen Mother kept. But then again, there was a lot to be suspicious about in Rashid¡¯s recent actions. This was true ever since he had come here, but there were even more dubious things from after he came back drenched from the lake. His deeply thoughtful expression, the seemingly irritated depth in his eyes. The sigh that was so heavy it seemed to sink itself, too. ¡°¡­.hoo..¡± And more than anything, it was the fact that he spent most of his time glued to the window like he was now. Chapter 65 He would only be able to see Palladium Lake from there, but whether he wiped his sword or drank his tea, the time he spent monitoring the scene outside his window only became longer day after day. ¡°Your Majesty appears to be in quite a deep concern. If it is that your body is not feeling okay¡­¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°After all, one may imagine you may have caught a cold that day or the like.¡± Though he was the one to bring this up first, Peyton looked embarrassed. Elder brother, catching a cold? If that really had been the case, he wouldn¡¯t even be this worried. The god of death who reigns over the living. He didn¡¯t have that kind of nickname for nothing. He was the man who had spent many months in a bitter cold much worse than what they had now without the glint of his eyes ever faltering, much less a cough. Peyton the Commander of Knights included, when all the rest of his brothers had each lay down sick at least once, only his elder brother had been completely flawless, never wavering even once both physically and mentally. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s true that you have been overdoing things for a while now. As soon as you returned from the battle with Solium, you headed to the North to find Haniel, so I would fathom that it is a given for your body to not be in its usual condition. And you do appear more flushed than usual¡­¡± ¡°¡­.this witch, again.¡± What have you done to me. Placing a hand on his heated up forehead, he mumbled those words looking like he knew this would happen. But since Haniel had been mentioned, he didn¡¯t dismiss the topic. ¡°How¡¯s the pearlstone?¡± ¡°I checked it just a moment ago, but there have been no changes.¡± As he had never let the pearlstone leave his body for a single moment, Peyton nodded. It wasn¡¯t just that no changes had occurred¡ªin fact, every time he looked at it again, it became more and more sparkling and shiny. If it had been a normal magical artifact, he would¡¯ve suspected other people pulling the strings, but since the Grand Sorcerer himself had personally made it, it was impossible other magic could be at work. ¡°As of now, she seems to be doing fine, but we cannot let our guard down. Since she is still only a three-year-old child, we should find her as soon as possible, before she gains a bad memory.¡± ¡°Brother Peyton¡¯s right. Ahem, so about that, I have been thinking that it must be related to the Duchess after all. We can¡¯t believe in all of the rumors, but they do say that they haven¡¯t had so many missing persons before the woman appeared.¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s not one who¡¯d do that.¡± ¡°¡­.Your Majesty, what do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not her.¡± A seemingly indifferent, yet firm declaration. ¡°It would be better if she did have such talent.¡± ¡°¡­..what? Are you saying that she really isn¡¯t a witch?¡± ¡°No. She is.¡± ¡°¡­. Elder brother.¡± So what is your point. Tenon¡¯s face fell more and more in confusion the more he listened. There was Rashid¡¯s reddening neck and his heavy gaze for one, but even more so, he found those temperamental words of his beyond random. ¡®Does he mean that she really is a witch, but not to the level of being able to do anything to anyone?¡¯ He managed to understand that much, but even that didn¡¯t make sense. It wasn¡¯t like witches cursed people while accommodating their circumstances. Anyways, if one thing was clear, it was that either Rashid or the Duchess had something going on. Or perhaps that applied to both of them at the same time. ¡°Then I will be more attentive in my examinations as I watch over her.¡± ¡°Why should you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you under what intentions you¡¯re going to be watching over her, Tenon.¡± Rashid¡¯s eyes, which had been pointed entirely to the window and his sword, sharpened anew. Pupils so cold-blooded, they could produce frost. But this was the Emperor¡¯s side that his younger brothers were most familiar with. So much so that Tenon even smiled, seeming to welcome the sight. Chapter 66 ¡°I only hoped to lessen the amount of Your Majesty¡¯s workload¡­¡± ¡°How easygoing you are. Do you think you can manage with that mental strength of yours?¡± Not on your life. As if telling him not to talk nonsense, the Emperor coldly crossed his legs. Even he himself¡­. A crack appeared in his previously flawless forehead. ¡°Anyways, things will be clearer if I do the observation myself, so don¡¯t act rashly and interfere. If you dimwits get involved, too, things will only get more complicated.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Seeing Rashid draw a line like that so clearly, certainly brought relief to the younger brothers. He was the man who didn¡¯t just sweep through the war, but overturned it completely. Judging from how he spoke of mental strength, instead of the more common military strength or stamina, this Duchess may have more dark powers than they had originally thought. ¡°Is there anything that you¡¯ve figured out about her?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.That¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡®Of course,¡¯ he was about to say, but Rashid drummed his fingers on the knee he¡¯d crossed over the other. Technically speaking, he hadn¡¯t just stopped at observing. Whether he¡¯d wanted or not, she was the woman that he¡¯d had the closest physical contact to, so there was no way he couldn¡¯t know anything. ¡°She likes birds¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°And she very much obsesses over them.¡± A strange expression began overtaking his two younger brothers¡¯ faces again. But the face of Rashid, who¡¯d said those words himself, became even more serious, raising the tension in the room. ¡°How much does she like those birds that you act like this, Your Majesty? Well, I have indeed heard that many among those who use black magic use birds as their tools.¡± ¡°Rather than tools¡­..¡± Like a family, if he had to say. But that wasn¡¯t something he could really say with his own mouth. His two brothers in front of him now was inside the realm called family, but just from that thought, his entire body itched and his neck and shoulders stiffened. How should he say. It was like when he thought of that newly born sister of his. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°¡­..she¡¯s an unbelievably suspicious woman anyways. Can¡¯t tell the front from the back, and fearless to boot.¡± Enough to risk her life for a mere bird, but he didn¡¯t say that. And it was a good thing he also didn¡¯t add that it didn¡¯t feel bad when they¡¯d touched. ¡°Then what do you plan to do in the future?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what. I¡¯ll have to keep her closer and continue watching her.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The tone of his voice said that he found nothing more annoying, but in contrast, his expression didn¡¯t look that bad. Tenon, who¡¯d been thinking for a while, spoke up his concern a little. ¡°But last time, she seemed to find meeting people uncomfortable, so if I may ask how you intend to keep her close¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I cast out some bait.¡± ¡°By bait, do you mean what you sent through elder brother Peyton today? I was wondering what you were sending, but I see now that it was for this purpose.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Setting his hands on the armrests, Rashid narrowed his eyes as if to say there could be no other motives, and Tenon was quickly convinced. ¡°¡­¡­¡± But that was only possible with Tenon, because he had been busy tracking Haniel¡¯s location down and so didn¡¯t know of its contents. As for Peyton, who had personally carried out Rashid¡¯s order, perhaps he could not understand right away¡ªhe stared at Rasid with a sheepish look. ¡°¡­¡­what are you doing? Peyton. Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°N-no, Your Majesty.¡± As befitting his status as the most close-mouthed brother, Peyton closed his mouth just like that. Rashid ran a hand through his hair as if to say he knew he¡¯d do so, and he leaned back onto the black velvet chair, his eyes shining with expectations. ¡°She¡¯ll definitely take the bait¡­. if it¡¯s that woman.¡± *** [Madam, look at this! I wonder what all this food is!] ¡°What do you mean? That¡¯s just food.¡± I said so in a disgruntled voice, but this wasn¡¯t actually something that I could smooth over like that. The warm soup with its fluffy steam rising up into the air, the steak that looked like it would melt at the tip of my tongue with only a single look, and even the extremely luxurious dessert¡ªit was perfect. Chapter 67 Not even the dessert shop in town from last time didn¡¯t have such elaborately crafted sugar cookies. [I¡¯ve prepared for feasts a lot while working at the Dukedom, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a cake this pretty! It looks so good; how much sweeter it will probably taste!] ¡°It¡¯ll be sweet, definitely.¡± Since it¡¯s poison. The reason I wasn¡¯t excited in the face of all these incredulous foods was that. As much as it was clear who had sent them, there was no way they would only be sweet. ¡°Anyways, stop eyeing it. I¡¯m going to return all of it.¡± [Why? Such a waste! They say you¡¯ll be punished for throwing away food!] ¡°Selene, do you want to become a slave for the sake of one mere meal?¡± [¡­..I already am, to you, Madam.] ¡°Ah.¡± With a short but strong acknowledgement, I conceded and let her keep looking. But as soon as I made clear that looking was all we were going to do, Selene blinked and voiced out her complaints. [What did the food do wrong to you? And how do you even know who sent it?] ¡°That¡¯s because¡­.¡± ¡°Call in the attendants immediately. Tell them to prepare a bath and food¡­¡± What that man had said that day had transferred right into this basket exactly as they were. After all, in the huge multi-layered basket, aside from the food, a fluffy towel was laid at the bottom, and soap as well as oil to be used in the bath. ¡®Hmph. What does he see me as.¡¯ He probably thought that the crazy witch was pathetic, to boot. I wasn¡¯t giving myself a useless reproach¡ªthis really was my situation. A woman who was Duchess in title had not only cried and shown all sorts of things to him, she had crawled back hastily to a separated villa with no servants and no lights on. How much worse would it have looked in the Emperor¡¯s eyes, I wondered. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d been living like this for only a day or two now. *** This obvious truth had never felt so pathetic to me before, but I had no idea why I felt so bitter about it today. I patted Haniel¡¯s head as she scurried down my knee and peeked into the basket. ¡°We¡¯re going to return this uneaten anyway. I¡¯m a proud lady with self-respect, after all.¡± [Madaaaam. You¡¯re curse-ridden, what self-respect¡­] ¡°The curse is on my body, not on my self-respect. I¡¯m a mom now. A mom must keep her self-respect so that the child¡¯s self-respect goes up, too.¡± ¡­..plus, I¡¯m really scared of her brother, you know. Completely leaving my real reason out, I let out a dignified sniff. I may have decided to live going with the world¡¯s flow, but men were an exception. ¡®If I eat this, who knows what new leverage I might be giving him.¡¯ With all the leverage he¡¯d already gotten from me, I felt like a marionette doll, with countless strings dangling off all over my body. And when I thought of the man who could take hold of every single string and skillfully control me, a shudder instinctively ran through me. ¡°Ughh, no way. Let¡¯s not do that with just food.¡± [¡­.Then what about this?] ¡°Whatever that is, no to everything. It¡¯s a no, so¡­.¡± As soon as Selene lifted the lid off the last basket, my lips gradually stiffened. No. I had to say no, but¡­ [Mo, mo, mommyyy! Look at dis!] Watching Haniel as she sank, flailing into the sea of colorful, piled-up ribbons, I just couldn¡¯t say so. [Fwiend Rwibbon came back with mo fwiends!] *** ¡°Lady Melleo, have you been well? We¡¯ve come a bit late, unfortunately.¡± [You are indeed late. I thought you had completely dropped out.] There was a hard edge to what Lady Melleo said with her head turned away. But instead of giving up there, I tried smiling innocently at her one more time. ¡°Hoho. My child had to rest and be nurtured from the shock of that day, so we really couldn¡¯t help it.¡± [Is that so? Even though there was also this old lady, who was kicked by His Majesty and rolled about.] ¡°¡­..¡± Chapter 68 Wow, this granny sure held grudges. With my temper, I wanted to grab her beak and spin her around, but the fault was in the parent who had put their child in her care. Afraid that Haniel might get any kind of disadvantage once she began going to school again, I only nodded my head like a silly girl. ¡°Of course. That was just so inhuman, I wondered how someone like him could exist!¡± [Please be careful of what you say. It is clear disloyalty to say such things about the royal Highness of the Empire!] ¡°¡­..oh, okay.¡± Even though I¡¯d taken her side. As befitting for the embodiment of etiquette and law itself, Lady Melleo strongly scolded me. Being kicked was being kicked; apparently she hadn¡¯t thrown away her loyalty to the Emperor. [Pheww, the matters of that day have been a shock to me as well. Anyhow, I wonder why His Majesty came all the way to Palladium Lake for.] ¡°Th-that, I¡¯ve also no idea. Haha.¡± I tried to laugh as innocently as I could, but Lady Melleo maintained her frostiness. Even as she peered at me suspiciously, trying to see if she could glean some kind of indication from me, she feigned ignorance until the very end. ¡®¡­she¡¯s definitely the type to get revenge.¡¯ Looking at the lady who¡¯d gone as far as to wrap herself in bandages where she had been kicked, as if to show it off, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything to her. Even if she was loyal to the throne, if she knew that it was me who¡¯d brought the instigator, who knew what harm would go to Haniel. Let¡¯s not forget, this year¡¯s goal is a perfect attendance award! ¡°A-anyways, Haniel fell sick at the shock of drowning, so it won¡¯t be considered an unexcused absence but a sick leave, right?¡± [That is indeed true, but to have a swan drown in water. It¡¯s a very big disappointment.] ¡°But that wasn¡¯t Haniel¡¯s fault¡­¡± It still wasn¡¯t too late to grab her beak and open her up wide, but I forcefully tamped it down. For Haniel, who was tilting her head next to Selene in the corner over there, unaware of everything, I could endure this any number of times, be it ten or a hundred. ¡°A-anyways, once she learns she will be able to follow again very soon. She¡¯s just very young.¡± [If the Duchess says so, I cannot deny, but I will be watching her very carefully in the future. To have such chaos at the admissions ceremony¨C this is the first time this has happened since this school was founded.] ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± [Hmph! Please wait here. I will bring in her homeroom teacher.] ¡°Thank you very much.¡± For not marrying and remaining single, And therefore not becoming anyone¡¯s mother-in-law and ruining the life of a precious daughter from another house. ¡°¡­..¡± I gently gritted my teeth as I watched her turn away, still holding the grudge. Since she wasn¡¯t marking it as an unexcused absence, I would keep it down. I quickly headed to where Haniel was with Selene and gave her this good news. ¡°Baby, Teacher Melleo said she¡¯ll take you back.¡± [Weally? Whyy? Oh oh, I know!] Her small chest fidgeting at the awaited news, Haniel shyly came near my ear. [Be-because Haniel pwetty?] ¡°¡­.that¡¯s right!¡± That¡¯s exactly right. I clutched at my chest as I looked at Haniel, with her red ribbon and a glowing face, her chest rising gently with each breath. She¡¯d chosen that ribbon with her very own wing from the basket full of ribbons. It was the same red ribbon from that day, but its sheen and fabric was much more luxurious than that had been. ¡°As expected, our princess has good taste.¡± [Mommy, is Haniel pwetty?] Haniel tilted her head to the left, as if she was embarrassed but also didn¡¯t dislike it. Doing that was probably a habit she didn¡¯t even know of, and the thought made me burst out laughing. ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s ask nanny, too. Right, Selene? Isn¡¯t she really pretty?¡± [¡­..very much so. A spectacular sight. Just magnificent. A gift from god, umm.] She, who had been rambling on while staring someplace else, then hid her face under her wing a beat later. Chapter 69 What was she looking at that made her act like this? When I glanced backwards, a swan I hadn¡¯t known appeared was bowing very respectfully. [How do you do, Duchess? I am Darren.] ¡°Ohh, then you must be our Haniel¡¯s homeroom teacher!¡± ¡­and the source of Selene¡¯s silliness. It was a little weird to be saying this about a swan, but he had an appearance that was striking at first glance. His silver feathers that shone subtly spilled dignity and class, looking as if they had been weaved with moonlight itself. He was the universally acceptable beautiful bird that would work on a lady with age, like Lady Melleo, and Selene, who only looked at faces. ¡°We are in your hands, teacher.¡± [Not at all. It is I who should be saying that to such a beautiful Duchess.] ¡°Oh my.¡± And he even had the manners to snipe the female heart of a widow with three children. If it was any other animal from this lake. I may have asked how he had ended up here, but human or fowl, handsome folks had the advantage of being acceptable no matter what. ¡®That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sure he had some kind of circumstances that called for it.¡¯ Without a word said or heard, understanding just dawned on the heart. I held in the urge to ask him if pardon, but may I stroke your feathers just once? to the very end. Because I am the parent of a student! ¡°Tea-cher, my child is very shy and bashful. But she¡¯s also very clever, so whatever you teach her, she will learn it very quickly. And when she fell into the water that day, that was¡­¡± [No doubt because she is still a baby. Don¡¯t worry. She looks quite pretty and intelligent, so she will surely master the skill speedily.] ¡°My, my, my.¡± Silly me. Why were tears coming out of my eyes? After standing off with Lady Melleo just a while ago, meeting this handsome teacher who understood the mother¡¯s heart more than anyone made my chest swell up. As I nodded, while fanning my face with my hands, more and more sharp eyes turned towards me. ¡°¡­..¡± Over there, the one with that fierce look was Viscountess Lady Loen, and the one twisting her wings was Sir Enia¡¯s wife. They were all parents of new students here, like me. If this went on, I would be stamped as the public enemy before Haniel was in trouble, so I quickly said my goodbyes and retreated. ¡°Then, I will see you the next time.¡± [Please do. I will always be waiting.] Turning my back against Teacher Darren, who¡¯d maintained his manners with overflowing dignity to the very last, I lowered my head to Haniel. As she spun around attempting to grab a part of her ribbon that was sticking out with her beak, she looked so innocent. ¡°Haniel, you¡¯re going to follow the teacher¡¯s directions well, right?¡± [Mmhmm. What about mommy?] ¡°Mommy has to go somewhere. But nanny will be next to you instead.¡± [B-but¡­.] ¡°You have this pretty ribbon on and a cool teacher, so what are you worrying for? You know Mommy always keeps her promises, right?¡± Only after I reminded her about our last promise and pinky-promised her with her last feather did I send Haniel into the lake. She still showed a lot of anxiety, but it wasn¡¯t like I was going because I wanted to either. ¡°Selene, you¡¯ll probably follow that homeroom teacher very well even if I don¡¯t say anything, so I have no worries about you leaving, but look at the child from time to time, alright?¡± [Madam, are you going to go somewhere again?] ¡°¡­..can you at least look at the person when they¡¯re talking?¡± [Eh, I always look at your face, so why should I now¡­] Selene, who¡¯d been looking dazedly at Teacher Darren out leisurely floating in the lake and leading the babies forward, finally turned her head. Her frank gaze wanting me to just say whatever and go finally focused on my darkened complexion. [I-if you don¡¯t want to go that bad, then don¡¯t go. You look like you¡¯re about to be dragged into the slaughterhouse.] ¡°¡­.who says I¡¯m not?¡± I raised my head to look at the palace far beyond the lake, which I could barely see. Chapter 70 It was a bit weird to use this as a comparison to that beautiful Winter Palace, but just like Selene had said, I really felt no different from going to the slaughterhouse to be killed. ¡°I have to go. Before the executioner comes chasing after me with a sword.¡± *** ¡°Duchess, you have come. His Majesty is waiting for you.¡± ¡°¡­..Okay.¡± The viscount I¡¯d seen last time greeted me completely unsurprised. Apparently, the Emperor had also been anticipating my visit. ¡®This is probably obvious.¡¯ There was no way a man, who had been badgering me to pay back my debts to him, would send those gifts for no reason. He probably meant for me to come voluntarily as soon as possible. Even as I had tutted at that man¡¯s clear ulterior motives, I had ended up coming here anyways. ¡®Now, how much will he trouble me this time?¡¯ *** Since I owed him my life, which was the scariest kind of debt out there, what else could I say? The sole remaining hope I had was that he did not seem like he would kill me. When I thought of his wet face I had seen inside the lake, my chest tightened endlessly. ¡°Your Majesty, the Duchess of Evendell has visited.¡± ¡°¡­Let her in.¡± Actually, hearing his voice beyond the grand door settled my nerves. If I thought about it, I had already hit rock bottom with him before. I¡¯d already touched his chest several times, though it hadn¡¯t been intentional, both of our bodies had been completely drenched, and that man¡¯s sister had become my daughter, so the family tree got twisted, too. But so what. If he yelled, I would listen carefully, and if he raised his sword, I would beg. ¡°Greetings to the Great Emperor, Your Majesty, who is protected by the Supreme Lord Therez.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re here.¡± His appearance, however, which was a little different from what I¡¯d expected, made me falter from the entrance. I had braced myself for him to start yelling or flash his sword at me from the get-go, but for some reason, Rashid was sitting at a table. ¡°¡­.¡± What the. What¡¯s with this normal appearance. Of course, he had a much too extraordinary face to be considered ordinary, but as someone who¡¯d seen everything that should and should not be seen, this image of him was the most novel. To think this man could sit there so mildly like that without yelling¡ªthe more you live, the stranger things you see. Though I¡¯d definitely have nothing more to ask if he let me live even longer from now on, too. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you coming in?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Though the way he covered up the documents he¡¯d been looking at was aloof, his voice was as sharp as usual. I hastily went to his side and bowed my head, but even that seemed to annoy this man. ¡°¡­.what are you doing?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Can¡¯t you tell? I¡¯m expressing the epitome of humility itself with my entire body. Standing there with my two hands neatly gathered together, I was the very model of ¡®apology and atonement,¡¯ minus the kneeling. To be honest, none of what had happened so far had been intentional, but the recipient had been the Emperor. And a tyrant-in-action Emperor at that. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you what you were doing?¡± ¡°¡­..It is impossible for Your Majesty to have good regards for me. From the way we were first entangled, to the way you fell into water because of me.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t there more things than that?¡± ¡°A-anyways, you¡¯ll never let me go as it is now.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± So you do know. At his low murmur to himself, my face became even more solemn. I had no idea how I always ended up being alone with the Emperor, but I¡¯d really hardened my heart as I had come. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Look at that evil expression of his. The frosty glint in his eyes was enough to kill any hope I had, and I gulped. This wasn¡¯t a debt that could vanish if I postponed it, and he wasn¡¯t a man who¡¯d let it go either. For the time being, I¡¯d deduced that he wasn¡¯t going to kill me at least, so settling the debt as quickly as I could was the only answer. Chapter 71 ¡°I, I really don¡¯t want to live in such anxiety anymore. So if there¡¯s anything that Your Majesty wants, then please do tell me.¡± ¡°What I want?¡± ¡°Also, you probably surmised this, but due to my inadequate circumstances, I am unable to pay you back for the ribbons. Instead, if it¡¯s something I can do with my body, I should be able to do most anything. And if possible, it would be great if you could schedule that to be between noon and six in the afternoon¡­¡± ¡°Sit.¡± ¡°¡­..excuse me?¡± I had been throwing self-appeals to him one after another, but now one of my eyes abruptly scrunched up. For some reason, his face seemed to be trying not to laugh, which was so unrealistic that I was a bit dazed. ¡°You really want me to sit, directly? Or perhaps you meant, I should crawl on my knees from here to there or¡­¡± ¡°Should I do that instead?¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± Though I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of whim he was on, I immediately went to the seat and sat down. But my palms were still sweaty, and it was hard to face him directly. When our eyes met after wavering for a while, and his red eyes pierced mine directly, I swallowed hard. ¡°Looks like the Duchess has bigger expectations for me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­..That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Fine, if you so want me to, then I should meet your expectations.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± So he has finally begun. ¡°Catherine, I hereby command you¡­.¡± Thud. The sound of him setting down the document in his hands was as noisy as if it was ringing from the bottom of my empty chest. In contrast, Rashid¡¯s eyes, which were still so deep and unfathomable that I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, filled this space to the fullest. ¡°Hold that knife and cut the steak.¡± *** ¡­¡­¡­What. Was he trying to feed me before he killed me. No matter how positively I was trying to think of this situation, this was the limit to my imagination. Didn¡¯t they say that even on the death row, convicts are given a feast on their dying day? But his movements as he sat directly opposite to me with a knife in his hand was excessively elegant. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to start eating already.¡± ¡°¡­.Yes, sir.¡± He said so, as if he was reading my every movement without even lifting his eyes, I hurriedly began cutting the meat. In fact, this was such high-quality steak that I didn¡¯t really need to put that much strength into it. Even in this situation, looking at this juicy steak was rousing my appetite. ¡°You¡­.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ah, that surprised me. Startled by Rashid suddenly lifting his head, I instinctively shrunk back. Once he looked down at his own knife, he seemed to finally realize what I was thinking, and he frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t throw it. I won¡¯t stab you. I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡± ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°If you ask me one more time¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± In one swoop, I quickly corrected my posture and put the meat I¡¯d stabbed with my fork into my mouth. It had looked tender with only my eyes; once I put it into my mouth, it melted like ice cream. ¡®Ahh, I¡¯ve never tasted something like this before!¡¯ In Korea, I¡¯d been an orphan who had to do with one cup ramen for every meal, and here, I was a half-animal, half-human whose food was mostly self-sufficient. There was no way someone like me, then, could have ever tasted this kind of steak. The meat, and how it filled my mouth with flavor before I¡¯d even chewed on it properly, was a taste that muddled the mind. ¡®I wonder if our princess grew up on stuff like this.¡¯ Even though all I could manage was soaked fish jerky, even if I tried my best. No matter how much Haniel did like fish jerky, the heart of this powerless mother could only ache. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t to your taste¡­¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty. It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s just¡­. I was only curious whether people who live in the palace dine on food like this all the time.¡± Chapter 72 I¡¯d made up half of that, but I was also half-sincerely curious. What our Haniel had grown up eating, and since I¡¯d heard about the Emperor¡¯s nanny last time, I wanted to ask about this, too. ¡°If everyone eats like this every day¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­how starved do you have to be to ask¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± However, I didn¡¯t think as far as to consider how this man would understand it. As Rashid looked at me with complicated eyes, as if he was seeing an orphan eat meat for the first time in her life, I laughed awkwardly and shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I was just curious about the Palace, if everyone¡­..¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, then follow me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh no. I just might be being pitied by a tyrant. Instead of the meat in my hands, I swallowed my solemn heart down. But even as I did so, if he really did feel that way towards me, that in itself was a very incredible feat. If he was the tyrant from the novel, I would¡¯ve thought he would respond with ¡®If you¡¯re that curious, I¡¯ll make you into meat.¡¯ I¡¯d been feeling this since he fished out Haniel, but from time to time, this man had a tendency to not live up to the reader¡¯s expectations enough to be called a tyrant. ¡®And who¡¯s pitying whom now?¡¯ When I know you¡¯re here doing this because you lost your precious sister. This wasn¡¯t something the woman who took that very sister should be thinking, but technically speaking, this man and I both had unfortunate lives. He had seven younger siblings in a row under him, his parents both passed away, and from there, not only did he lose his youngest sibling, but at the end, he dies by the sword of his sister¡¯s husband material. ¡°¡­.what¡¯s with that hungry look?¡± ¡°Noo it¡¯s nothing. I just wanted to tell you that this meat is so very good¡­.¡± ¡°We do eat food like this enough to be sick and tired of it. Though I don¡¯t put much meaning into food.¡± Though he¡¯d been responding especially sensitively to the look in my eyes, he fortunately answered my previous question as if he¡¯d been thinking about it. He most likely couldn¡¯t even consider that he could be on the receiving end of pity. ¡°And as for my siblings, as they all were born and grew up in the palace, they¡¯ll be similar, too.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°No, maybe not for one of them?¡± At his quiet words to himself, my ears perked up. Anyone would be able to tell that that was about our Haniel. ¡°Who might you be speaking of, perhaps one of your siblings¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the nanny takes good care of that child, so.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oi, know your facts before you speak! The hand holding my knife began shaking with strain. I had no idea if this man knew or not the truth of how that very nanny didn¡¯t ever give a proper snack to that young and powerless princess. No, seeing his indifferent expression, he definitely didn¡¯t know. ¡°Duchess Tonze was recommended personally by the High Duchess, after all. And they say she has lots of experience raising children.¡± ¡°B-but if a nanny is still necessary, the child must have been very young.¡± ¡°¡­..two years old? No, is it four?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Oooh. I quickly reined in my expression after staring at him with a face clouded with fury and shock. You didn¡¯t even guess three years old after two¨C why would you skip over to four. As indifferent as he may be, how could he? *** The steak that had melted in my mouth now tasted flat, like I couldn¡¯t tell what it tasted like. ¡°No. The Queen Mother died soon after childbirth, so the child must be around three years old.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yeees. I see.¡± Congratulations on being in the margin of error, at the very least. Unable to do anything about my frustration, I gulped down water. Wasn¡¯t this, in a way, even more incredible than being a tyrant? This was beyond just being realistic siblings, this was on the level of being out-of-this-planet alien siblings. ¡°Anyway, whatever the child ate, it was probably abundantly. Since I told them to do as the child wants.¡± ¡°Th-then Your Majesty has never personally gone to¡­.¡± ¡°If I went, she¡¯d cry.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Chapter 73 At such a brief and clear answer, I momentarily rubbed the fingers that had been holding the knife together. Out of all the words that had come out of this man¡¯s mouth, these rang the most with truth. ¡°How the child did cry.¡± ¡°¡­.But I¡¯m sure the child wouldn¡¯t cry for no reason. Perhaps you may have done something to give fear or¡­.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± At his shamelessness, which was not only sincere but also gave no room for doubt, I calmly folded my two hands together. I really wanted to beg him to say he was joking, but the Emperor was extremely serious himself. ¡°All I do is go there, and the child randomly cries. What am I supposed to do.¡± ¡°¡­..did, did you go alone?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I did take a dog. As a servant of the last evil beast, I tamed it personally, but most reasonable people would admire¡­.¡± ¡°Oh wooooow!¡± This is soo delicious! I lowered the hand I raised high in the air to the back of my neck, as if I was just supporting myself. Come now! In your eyes, do you think a three year old baby would go into the category of ¡®a reasonable person¡¯?! The more we talked, the more I was automatically understanding why our Haniel had to leave her home. ¡°¡­.anyways, it¡¯s a shame that something like that happened to you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°What do you mean, shame? This should not be unrelated to you anymore.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The formality of dinner was now over. Only after I realized the Emperor, resting his chin in his hands, was looking at me meaningfully did I realize again why I had come here. ¡°I presume you know what¡¯s happening to the promise and the debt you made to me?¡± ¡°¡­..Of course.¡± Though it was only that we had begun the inevitable talk, when my eyes met his, I was awash with nervousness, like I¡¯d become the prey of a beast. Before I was even more discouraged, I stuttered out all the words I¡¯d prepared in advance. ¡°As I¡¯ve informed you before this, my circumstances are a bit bad. But I may be able to do something to be of help to Your Majesty while you are here.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t an audition, goodness. When I looked up at him with no clue of what to say, Rashid¡¯s request came back in more detail. ¡°Tell me where and how I can use you.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± His words, if nothing else, sure were the real deal. The tyrant¡¯s appearance that I¡¯d considered a bit lacking just a while ago was appearing like this once more. He leisurely rested his head on his hands that were threaded together, dropping his eyes. ¡°Did you say you can do anything with your body?¡± ¡°¡­..Yes, well.¡± But there¡¯s really no need for you to say that with that subtle tone. Rashid himself didn¡¯t say anything, but I became flustered all by myself, and ran a hand through my hair. Before I was swept away even more, I brought out more of what I¡¯d prepared, hesitantly. ¡°I am relatively confident in things like managing the villa¡­.¡± ¡°For what reason.¡± ¡°Or perhaps cultivating the lake garden.¡± ¡°Who¡¯d see that.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± When my most confident skills were cut down flatly by mere shakes of his head, my heart gradually became hasty. ¡°I-I¡¯ve also heard I¡¯m quite good at cooking.¡± ¡°What kind?¡± This time, he did show a bit of an interest, but I couldn¡¯t bear to answer that it was bird feed. If I did, I would probably be skinned alive for the crime of deceiving the emperor before I even found what I was good at. My increasingly anxious eyes became plaintive. ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange to say this with my own mouth, but I am surprisingly good at socializing and have high sociability.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Of course, of course. I nodded my head fiercely for him to see. There had to be something that he liked in order for me to see a way to live, and now that I had a child strung along, I didn¡¯t want to live with my heart in my mouth anymore. ¡°Not only people, I also don¡¯t discriminate against animals or plants¡­¡± ¡°Not things like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chapter 74 ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything more special?¡± Above his threaded hands, his eyes sharpened. What exactly is it that you want? In contrast to my confused self, his eyes were as calm as a winter¡¯s lake. ¡°Like surpassing the powers of nature, or something the normal person would have difficulty doing¡­¡± ¡°I once bought a chick and raised it to be as big as an ostrich!¡± ¡°¡­¡­really?¡± At this point, I was just throwing stuff at him. Thinking that I¡¯d do anything to enter his favor, when I dragged my chair very closely and sat back down, Rashid flinched. ¡°I, I¡¯ve also grown a flower to be almost as tall as this ceiling!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°They said its limit is usually up to the knee or so, but I really didn¡¯t distinguish night and day and treated it like family, you know. I even made my own feed for it, so everyone around me said I had talent, and actually, even I thought¡­.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hm. Rashid glued his hands to his mouth, like he was pressing the sides of his mouth. Though I was worried sick over what I¡¯d do if he didn¡¯t like this either, his cheeks were twitching with no concern. ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡± I really am not kidding, you know. I felt like crying, but I really held that down while sifting through to the bottom of my soul, trying to think of any compliments I¡¯d heard before. ¡°I¡¯m good at calculating, and oh, I can do some acting.¡± ¡°Hah, you call that a strength¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­heugh. I knew it. I knew you wouldn¡¯t like it. But then again, how could someone like myself¡­ sniff.¡± ¡°H-hey now. I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°¡­..yes. This is what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Tricked you. I looked at Rashid, who had instantly stiffened at my sobs, and lowered my hands from my eyes. As I looked at him, my once-tearful eyes went back to being composed. ¡°And even if you stare me into shame like that, I don¡¯t really get hurt very easily either. I¡¯m used to it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The Emperor really was speechless now. Being laughed at was pretty unbearable, but looking at me for such a long time with an unapproving expression made the side of my face feel hot. ¡°I¡¯m being completely honest, this is all I have. Any more than this, even if it¡¯s me, I really¡­ I don¡¯t have much to offer, but whatever is lacking, I can try to make up with effort, so¡­.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Contrary to the approval readily given, his appearance as he languidly rested his body back was as arrogant as a king of beasts. ¡°You have nothing to put in effort for, I think you just need to be exactly like you are now.¡± ¡°¡­..excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying, you just need to come every day and spend time like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sure, I say some strange things, but you are worse. I could only blink, stunned, not knowing how to react to this. Don¡¯t tell me, this man! When I covered my exposed collarbone area without meaning to, Rashid¡¯s lips curled up smugly above his hands coolly holding up his chin. ¡°Look.¡± ¡°Your, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You have a moderately high title, a moderate amount of free time, and¡­ you¡¯re moderately shameless enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± One by one, the qualifications he listed out to me were as arrogant as the eyes that had been looking at me since some time. ¡°And so I¡¯ll have you be the excuse for why I remain in the North.¡± *** ¡°What do you mean? Your Majesty, you¡¯re going to remain in the Northern Lands?¡± ¡°I have my own reasons.¡± Rashid brought his teacup up as he crossed his legs. Though I was pretty sure what those ¡®reasons¡¯ were, when I heard it from his mouth directly, my breath quickened. ¡°Y-you won¡¯t be leaving soon?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want me to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His lips, which had been smiling widely, hardened again in a moment. As he pulled out his chair and neared me, the Emperor brought a quiet pressure with him like a prowling beast¡¯s steps. ¡°Since you will know about it soon enough¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°The younger sibling I was talking about earlier.¡± To think hearing the words ¡°younger sibling¡± from the Emperor¡¯s mouth could be this chilling. In front of me, who was like that, Rashid slowly pointed his finger. ¡°That child disappeared.¡± ¡°¡­.ga, gaaasp!¡± I have to be surprised, right? I should be, right? Chapter 75 As if I had been given a shock unlike anything in this world, I looked at him with empty eyes and took a few steps back, then raised my hand to my lips. I thought this much was perfect, but Rashid was also uselessly sharp. ¡°¡­.didn¡¯t you get surprised a little too late just now?¡± ¡°Not at all. It was just so unexpected.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He regarded me with his habitually lowered eyes, as if he was taking the person¡¯s measure, before he smiled heavily again. We were already in a relationship where neither considered the other party normal. More than anything else, this man might be very sharp, but there was no way he could¡¯ve even imagined that I was keeping Haniel. ¡°Anyways, since the imperial family¡¯s princess has disappeared, we must find her.¡± ¡°But why in the Northern Lands¡­¡± ¡°Because we last found her traces in the North.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get to learn about that little by little from now. Anyhow, I intend to stay here until we find the princess. And since this is progressing in top secrecy, nobody must know.¡± His eyes full of clear warning grazed past me. But there weren¡¯t many other women out there that would understand matters that progress in top secrecy like I did. ¡°¡­..Your Majesty.¡± Because I have your sister right now in top secrecy, you see. ¡°First, she does appear safe for now, but I will have to see that for my own eyes. If she¡¯s still alive, if her body is still whole.¡± ¡°What an ominous thing to say!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Panting, I looked at him reproachfully and cried out. I¡¯m her mother! *** I couldn¡¯t believe how he could say something as scary as that so nonchalantly. Unable to calm down, my chest heaved up and down. ¡°I, I mean¡­ That¡¯s impossible! And one shouldn¡¯t imagine something like that so easily, either. You need to be careful, even with your words¡­¡± ¡°Are you usually overflowing with attachment to everything in the world?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°To a princess you¡¯ve never seen before.¡± These weren¡¯t meaningful words attempting to find something out from me. But his characteristic tone of displeasure was enough to daunt anyone. ¡°I only meant to say that as none other than the princess of the Empire, she should be safe. W-when you find her¡­¡± ¡°Then a death that is longer than the time she has lived shall come.¡± ¡°No! What did the baby do wrong!¡± ¡°I mean that b*stard.¡± What are you even trying to say, sir. He raked back his hair, an incredulous expression on his face. The one strand of golden hair that flowed down from between his fingers matched his boredom well. ¡°Then should I keep such a man alive? The b*stard who dared to take the princess of the Empire as he pleases?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t checking if the princess is fine and gathering her into your arms to comfort her come first?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seriously, were all older brothers like this? Instead of thinking of how to take care of the found child, this Emperor first thought of destroying the culprit he¡¯d caught. I shook my head side to side at him. Even if I took out the fact that the culprit destined for this very destruction was me, I was shocked again to find that the difference in thought processes between older sisters and older brothers was this extreme. ¡°You¡¯re telling me to gather the kid into my arms and comfort her?¡± ¡°¡­.Never mind.¡± If he hugged her with that face, the child would have a heart attack after all that hard work of finding her. ¡°Ha!¡± But the Emperor also burst out laughing, as if he had heard what he shouldn¡¯t have heard. Seeing his heartless face that seemed to question what he¡¯d just heard, I quickly took a step back. I already had so many sins; facing those bloodthirsty eyes would feel like I was being eaten alive. I was more desperate than ever now for our panacea, our cure-all: the fragrant baby smell from Haniel. ¡°Umm, then I don¡¯t quite understand why my assistance is required for Your Majesty to stay here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not someone who can remain in a place like this without any reasons.¡± This great me, that is. Chapter 76 He sounded so arrogant and so sure of himself when he said so that I could practically hear those words that he¡¯d omitted. But at the same time, he really was a man that fit those words more than anyone else. I bowed my head to him moderately enough and pressed my lips together. ¡°Ah, yes. I see.¡± ¡°After all, just from how I¡¯m staying out here right now, those busy-tongued things in the capital are a given¡ªeven people from each country would be rushing in to grasp the empire¡¯s affairs.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If I pass the weekend like this here, there will probably be a lot of rumors that I will use the Northern Lands as a stepping stone to attack the Kingdom of Levante, which I left out from my last continental conquest.¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Levante¡­¡± No! Wasn¡¯t that my Haniel¡¯s groom-to-be male lead¡¯s nation?! It wasn¡¯t like they were betting on who would attack whom first or anything¡ªfor the sake of my dear Haniel, we need to avoid shedding blood between her older brother and her future husband. When my face paled in fright, the Emperor showed at least the slightest humane aspect by letting himself laugh a little at my whitened complexion. ¡°This is such a small thing.¡± ¡°B-but it¡¯s still not fine, that. War isn¡¯t something that isn¡¯t that easy, and Rohan is so prosperous now, so really¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying I won¡¯t be.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°For now.¡± Rashid tapped his fingers slowly on top of the table once more. Since I thought I could see how he clearly did not have any intentions to invade the country right now, I breathed a little easier, albeit by a small amount. ¡°¡­.So Your Majesty is saying that just by Your Majesty staying in the Northern Lands, which is a gateway to the continent, the politics of the world fluctuates. Therefore, in order to dispel people¡¯s speculations, you need another reason for you to continue remaining here.¡± ¡°Your ability to understand is unexpectedly quick.¡± His satisfied smile above the black table was as elegant as the moonlight peeking between clouds. ¡°It¡¯ll also be troubling if Haniel¡¯s existence becomes known. Including Levante, there are swarming hordes of those that eagerly watch for an opportunity to stab my back. If they know that a young princess has gone missing, there will be a huge commotion of trying to find her first.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°And if the kid ends up in any of their hands¡­.¡± As I blankly watched him for a moment as Rashid stopped and knitted his brows together, our eyes met. ¡°¡­..what?¡± ¡°No-nothing.¡± If I said that this man actually looked human for even the shortest while, would that be an insult or a compliment? I didn¡¯t have any reasons to say so to a man who was trying to kill me in the first place, only to shorten my lifeline, though. Ending this conversation as quickly as possible would be my best option. I carefully changed the subject. ¡°I understand what you are saying, but if it is for that reason, isn¡¯t it better to talk about this with my eldest daughter instead?¡± ¡°¡­..you mean the Lady?¡± ¡°Yes. There is much that she has done already, and she is skilled in the politics of the Northern Lands and everything that happens in it, so in order to do what Your Majesty is pushing for, she will¡­.¡± ¡°And why can¡¯t you do that?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± His more direct tone, the look in his eyes, and the way he stood there leaning on one arm¡ªhe looked as imposing as the portrait of a militant king on the battlefield. ¡°You said you are the Duchess. What can the lady do that you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­..As you already know¡­.¡± When he openly asked me when he must¡¯ve already guessed that I¡¯d been pushed to the back room, I had nothing to say. Instead, I turned and touched my cheeks with the back of my hand, as if I was hiding my blush. ¡°Anyways, I worry that I would be a bother to Your Majesty¡¯s business.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask for anything difficult.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I told you, do as you are now. Keep talking back to people shamelessly, make up some things here and there, and if you can¡¯t do that, well¡­. Smile, or something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You do that well. Hedging over things with a smile.¡± Before I could properly meet his stare, his eyes turned elsewhere. Since this was the first time that Rashid had avoided my eyes, I also became speechless. Chapter 77 But still. As I chewed on the insides of my mouth while racking my mind, I heard the man¡¯s low voice again. ¡°Who knows? If everything works out, I might even grant you compensation.¡± ¡°¡­.C-compensation?¡± Wait, was my voice a little too loud right now? When I showed a more violent reaction than I ever had up until now, swallowing hard, his red eyes narrowed behind his swept-up hair. ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. It¡¯s just compensation. And you choose what that¡¯ll be. If possible¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I think I can do very well.¡± I nodded my head two or three times, trying to look trustworthy. Maybe because he found my abrupt change in attitude absurd, Rashid¡¯s sigh became extremely low. Though he closed his mouth firmly, even as he¡¯d seemed about to say something more, he didn¡¯t berate me or tell me I couldn¡¯t. ¡°You really¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.I will do my best.¡± Yes. I know. I know how I probably look. I followed him as he gave me one look and headed out the door, a silly smile completely devoid of pride naturally forming on my lips. What in the world. The air that filled my chest now couldn¡¯t be any more different from when I hadd first come into this place. ¡®That¡¯s right. If Lania can do it, what¡¯s there that I can¡¯t.¡¯ He¡¯s compensating me! To put it harshly, since my life had been indebted to the Emperor, I would have to roll on the ground if he told me to. I¡¯d even gone as far as to come here thinking of doing chores for him, even as a Duchess. Those who stuck with their pride and aloofly insisting they wouldn¡¯t do it if they died was something heroines did. If someone like I did it, asking to be killed would actually kill me if things went wrong, the route of dying a dog¡¯s death. Since he was someone who wouldn¡¯t let you go until his own anger was satisfied, he wouldn¡¯t stop ordering me just because I said no. If I could get even a single thing from this, then that was my best shot. ¡®Please show me the capacity of the Emperor!¡¯ At this unexpected profit, walking by the lakeside felt like I was taking step after step on top of clouds¡ªI was that excited. I was already done calculating what I¡¯d ask from him. Which means, I needed to know how much he was calculating now. ¡°Then what should I begin preparing for?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We need to show people. Of course, it¡¯s just trickery, but if we want to be seen that way, then we need to at least look the part.¡± Before he could change his mind, I stressed my proactive attitude as we walked by the lake. My mind whirred busily now that I knew that I wouldn¡¯t have to begin pulling grass or begging for my life any time soon. ¡°For example, you might be pushing for public work to be done in collaboration with the Northern Lands, or maybe you¡¯re about to open an event here, or you¡¯re planning to inspect every territory or strategic point for the military. Those seem fine to me. What do you think, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­..¡± That was a pretty slow reaction speed, coming from him. I looked up at him. I¡¯ll do well. Though my hair was flying in the lake wind, I didn¡¯t care about that and pulled all my energy into focusing only on him. ¡°Please tell me. I need to know something so that I can match my act to yours.¡± ¡°About that.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Majesty would have a plan thought-up already.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Of course.¡± His response, which was a scowl that was just like him to do, was slow this time, too. But thank goodness he wasn¡¯t getting angry at me. I quietly tucked my fluttering hair behind my ear and lifted the soles of my feet. ¡°If you could tell me beforehand¡­.¡± ¡°For now¡­¡­ Come tomorrow.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± My feet, which had risen just like how my chest had puffed up in expectation, slowly fell back onto the ground. Chapter 78 Since this was a bit different from the elaborate intelligence plan I was expecting, I became a bit embarrassed and scratched my cheek. ¡°I, I should go. I¡¯ll need to go in order to keep my promise anyways, but by myself¡­.¡± ¡°Then come with your daughter.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± No. I meant what you were going to do, why would my daughter¡­.. For once, I was thinking things were going well, but now my complexion darkened in a second. ¡°By daughter, you wouldn¡¯t be meaning Lady L-Lania.¡± ¡°I mean the bird ba- no, the swan.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± Looking as anxious as I was somehow, Rashid put one hand into his pocket. What for? What was he thinking? When I stood there blankly, as pale as ever, his eyes as he looked down at me flashed coldly. ¡°You said she¡¯s your daughter. Is there any reason not to?¡± ¡°¡­.That¡¯s indeed true, but it¡¯s just something I never expected. I was thinking of something more constructive, or¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were thinking of, but I have already received too many reports for territories and strategic military points that you were talking about. So if the Duchess, who has been lying low until now, wants to come out and start a public business, wouldn¡¯t it have to be something about the ecosystem or improving the environment of the Northern Lands? Which means that if you bring any old animal and let them roam free while you pretend to explain, then that will look more plausible to the others.¡± ¡°Ohh.¡± As expected. He¡¯d spoken too fast so I didn¡¯t really know what he said, but anyways he looked like he had some kind of thorough plan. The way he sighed right after he finished talking had a sense of being too different from his previous words, but the Emperor was the Emperor. In other words, it was the trend and the truth and the way of life to follow the person who was paying, as long as they were right. ¡°I see. Then I will also do my best to prepare in that direction as well. So that I can reply to whoever asks me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Go on ahead.¡± ¡°I, I really will do my best!¡± Customer. As Rashid had said, I turned around with a shameless smile and gathered my hands together tightly. I smiled brightly, not even bothering to hide the Sales King smile that had managed to sell out even the three-year-old evil stock of king cobra dolls at the zoo¡¯s souvenir corner. ¡°You really have a good eye. It¡¯s only that I¡¯ve never had the chance, but I¡¯m very good at working. I really do work hard without distinguishing between anything, but this time I¡¯ll especially¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..Mm.¡± Didn¡¯t this man just smile. As he turned in a hurry, a smirk seemed to pass by his well-formed lips. Since I was smiling, there wasn¡¯t any reason he shouldn¡¯t be able to smile, but a weirdly awkward current seemed to hover. As I blinked my eyes at him in bewilderment, two horses that were just entering the royal villa came into my line of sight behind him. ¡°Ohh, the Imperial Princes must have come back. I should go and greet¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± In contrast to how relieved I was feeling at the thought of someone new appearing, Rashid shouted loudly. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d turned a 180 so suddenly, but this time we really were in quite a warm atmosphere. Without any growling or whimpering involved, laughter was actually in the air around us for once, so why¡­. ¡°Your Majesty, I have no idea what mistake I have made yet again, but I was simply thinking the Princes¡­.¡± ¡°Catherine.¡± His breath, which reached my forehead, scattered into a mist ambiguously. Enough, in fact, that I did not realize how naturally this man had called me by my name. ¡°You, did you say you¡¯re good at acting?¡± *** ¡°Brother Peyton, look over there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Tenon, his hands on the reins, halted his horse without being able to go closer to Rashid. Peyton, who had been about to go and greet his elder brother Rashid as according to the laws of courtesy and etiquette, was also unable to do anything. He made an awkward face. ¡°That¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°It appears as if His Majesty is firmly pressuring the Duchess.¡± The atmosphere was so clear to see that there was no other explanation needed. Chapter 79 The Duchess was on the lakeside with her two hands gathered together, ashen and head bowed. Rashid was staring frightfully at her. The thick bones in the back of his hand were popping out, as if he would grab her black hair at any moment. ¡°Haa. He did say he would be watching her, but who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d go that far.¡± A note of contrition entered Tenon¡¯s voice. It wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t know what his eldest brother¡¯s personality was like. In fact, he even felt sorry for her, even though he hadn¡¯t let go of his suspicions about her yet. ¡°Look at that. The atmosphere there is so forbidding, the only difference is that they¡¯re not in the torture room. He might even end up pushing her into the lake like that.¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t possibly do that.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Peyton¡¯s voice, even as he scolded him for being wrong, wasn¡¯t filled with confidence either. Not that he was wrong, but the expression on the Duchess¡¯s face was so desperate, she looked like she was barely holding back tears. Please, I beg you. Along with her mouth forming these words that were still definite from afar, she shook her head, and strands of hair blew out into the breeze. ¡°Br-brother, now that I see her, the Duchess seems to look very pure, no, very innocent.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­..¡± A beauty was a beauty for sure. And this never-to-be-seen-again beauty was seemingly at her wit¡¯s end, covering her eyes. It was natural that they who had been trained in chivalry would feel unsettled in their hearts. About to pull on his reins and approach them himself, Peyton then let loose a long sigh and stopped Tenon. ¡°Don¡¯t. Do you consider His Majesty to be one who would be convinced or waver because of anything like that.¡± ¡°That is impossible.¡± Tenon finally acknowledged the situation and rubbed his face. Even now, he was putting so much pressure on the other person that it was too scary to go near him. He radiated an energy like he was about to burn others to death, all through the glint of his eyes and without a single word. ¡°As expected of Eldest Brother. I can¡¯t believe how relentless he is, when he could let her slide at least once.¡± ¡°He did vow to keep a stern eye on the Duchess, so¡­ Ah¡­¡± As Peyton repeated His Majesty¡¯s words bitterly, he ended up exclaiming as he watched Catherine run towards the villa at last, her hands covering her mouth. They didn¡¯t have any evidence yet, so why go that far? Unable to hold back his pity, he gripped his reins, but Rashid turned back first. ¡°¡­..haa.¡± He remained calm even as he saw his two younger brothers¡¯ complicated yet reproachful gazes toward him. Though he had dealt with a beautiful woman the way he would catch a rat, he rested his hand on the back of his neck indifferently, without a trace of guilt. ¡°This much should be enough to make the witch come to her senses.¡± *** [Mom, Mommyy!] [Madaam!] ¡°My dears!¡± Once I discovered these two waiting for me in front of the villa, I lifted up my dress skirts swiftly and directly approached them. As soon as I swept them up into a hug, Haniel rubbed her beak into my cheek as if she had been waiting for it all along. [Mommy. Heugh. Why did you come only now?] ¡°Aww, my poor little puppy, our swan princess!¡± Knowing that someone was waiting for my return was exuberating, even as I experienced this every day. And at times like this, when I had come back from a narrow escape from death, it was inevitable that I¡¯d feel even more welcome. Hup! When I forgot all about keeping my honor and just went and lay down on the reed grass, Selene was appalled. [You need to keep your dignity. If the ladies even see you like this¡­.] ¡°They¡¯re not coming. No, they can¡¯t come. They apparently dug open all the roads going out to the main estate.¡± Perhaps in revenge to that time when she¡¯d been humiliated in front of the Emperor, Lania had begun a bloody punishment since that very day. All the food and clothing materials¡ªwhich had barely been enough to wet the lips in the first place¡ªwere completely cut off. Not only that, but instead of using a wooden or iron fence, they had completely dug out all the roads themselves that led to the lakeside, isolating us like a remote island. Chapter 80 ¡®Better for me, though.¡¯ If I couldn¡¯t run away anyways, then getting to see the sisters of that house one less time was the best I could expect. Anyhow, they really were childish. Since they couldn¡¯t do anything at the Winter Palace, they were rampaging like this in their own little house. ¡°Leave them be. Once they feel frustrated again, they¡¯ll just fill in the ground and crawl back in anyways.¡± [Madam, why are you so calm? You were acting like you were being dragged to the slaughterhouse just a moment ago. What did His Majesty do this time? Did he, like, tell you off or something?] ¡°He didn¡¯t go as far as to tell me off, but¡­..¡± ¡°You said you¡¯re confident. So show me your abilities.¡± ¡°¡­.h-how, in this place?¡± ¡°Cry.¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­. I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not even surprised anymore.¡± Remembering what Rashid had murmured between his teeth to me a little while before, I shook my hand. Cry, immediately. The glint of his eyes as he calmly stood there with his back to his brothers had been so imposing, I couldn¡¯t imagine taking it as a joke. ¡°¡­..I knew he was a strange man from the beginning anyways. A tyrant is a tyrant for a reason.¡± [But Madam, you look like you¡¯re feeling fine? Did something else happen too?] ¡°About that.¡± I gave a rough summary of what happened with Rashid to Selene, who was as perceptive as usual. That if I helped him out, he would also give compensation. Once Selene heard that, the way she looked at me changed slightly, like she was finding me a little pathetic. [Then Madam, are you this excited just because His Majesty said something that small to you?] ¡°As someone who was employed as a nanny over twenty fish jerkies, is that what you should be saying?¡± [Sigh¡­.. What great thing are you planning to ask for?] ¡°¡­¡­.That¡¯s a secret.¡± In case she found it heavy, I lifted one finger and ran it down Haniel¡¯s fluffy head. Haniel was playing, going in and out of my dress skirts like she was riding a wave, oblivious to what we were talking about, and she looked as innocent as a three-year-old child should be. ¡°By the way, I can¡¯t believe our Haniel is three years old.¡± Since not three years had gone by since the former Empress had passed, I had suspected as much, but it really felt different from knowing precisely. Poor thing. Did she even remember her birth mother¡¯s face? *** I knew it was probably something ridiculous to hope for, but even for a short while I wished that she could. No matter how much I became a mother to her, to have another face to remember whenever you looked up at the sky must be a splendid thing to have. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though I wouldn¡¯t know that feeling, of course. ¡°But Selene, what happened to her face?¡± [What do you mean, what happened?] ¡°Now that I look at her, doesn¡¯t she look a bit sad? She wasn¡¯t like this in the morning.¡± I lifted the child up to near my face again from where she was scrambling in my skirt, having fun. Hmmm? On the outside, she was wearing her bright red ribbon and tilting her head as per usual, but to a mother¡¯s eye, the change was clear. ¡°Look. The tilt of her head is five degrees lower.¡± [Madam, why would you go that far to¡­.] ¡°You see that, right? She usually shakes her beak three times, but she only shook it once right now.¡± Something definitely happened, definitely. A mother¡¯s heart was seeing the small thorn wedged in their child¡¯s hand, even if they couldn¡¯t see the bullet in theirs. And I told you to look over her well! When I glared down at her with blame in my eyes, Selene flapped her wings helplessly. [I wasn¡¯t going to tell you in case you were worried, but when we were returning from school, Lady Melleo said something to her again.] ¡°What? No, why would that granny again!¡± [She went on and on about not being ladylike or whatever in front of all the new students, but when she did that she stood right in front of the princess. Looking at that, this is all just her taking out her anger about being kicked by His Majesty, probably.] Chapter 81 ¡°Oh please, she got slapped by the Emperor, so why is she taking it out on Haniel!¡± When I erupted into anger, Haniel pecked at my hand to stop me. [Mo-Mommyy. Scawy. Don¡¯t be angwyy.] ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not mad at you. This is all¡­¡­ Never mind. Go play, mommy will be here.¡± [Buuuut.] ¡°Haniel, you said you want to try different colored ribbons before, right? Come bring that quickly. Mommy left the basket open.¡± [Okaay!] Though Haniel had been squirming in an effort not to go, as soon as she heard the word ¡®ribbon,¡¯ her eyes widened into round discs and she went in. Even if I watched her go scampering out in excitement two or three times, I would never get tired of it. ¡°A baby sure is still a baby. It¡¯s so simple with her.¡± [Now¡¯s not the time for you to be so relaxed, Madam. Didn¡¯t you say His Majesty the Emperor told you to bring the princess tomorrow?] ¡°¡­¡­Yeah. That he did.¡± [The Emperor might have really told you to bring her without knowing anything, but the princess froze at the sight of His Majesty¡¯s face last time and almost drowned. What are you going to do?] As Selene confided an obvious worry to me, she glanced at the open door. Though she had shuddered at the thought before, now she really was like a nanny, seemingly bothered now by the possibility that Haniel might hear us talking about the Emperor. [Actually, I was shaking that day too even as a full-grown adult. It was so scary my heart was trembling. Though I guess I should¡¯ve known from the moment someone that young ran away from home.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just how much did he torment the child to¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..No, instead of tormenting¡­¡± He just didn¡¯t know anything. I re-examined the impressions I had felt as I observed the Emperor today. Wasn¡¯t there a saying that ignorance with no malice is the scariest of them all? Based on his expressions and tone of voice, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that this man was a fool when it came to children. ¡°And if he really was a bad guy, he wouldn¡¯t be looking for the child like this either.¡± [So you¡¯re saying the Emperor is not a bad guy?] ¡°¡­¡­Of course not.¡± How dare he neglect my daughter like that. I could be understanding when it came to other people¡¯s businesses, but if it was about our Haniel, I couldn¡¯t just smooth it over like that. ¡°There weren¡¯t any reasons. He was a servant I had bred from a beast, but a dog is only a dog. No matter how young, to just start crying like that is¡­..¡± ¡­.what dog poop are you spewing now. You literally let loose a hunting hound in front of a child who just learned to open her eyes and start distinguishing objects. This was the same as what I¡¯d read in the novel, too. To be exact, that had been when I was first in danger of closing the book right ten and there, so I remembered it in relatively great detail. [The cold, indifferent eyes of the older brother swept past the young baby. Even as he saw Haniel¡¯s face, sniffling in fear, he only continued to pat down the neck of his growling dog. As he stared at the crying princess, seemingly irritated, he¡­.] ¡°Ignorance really is courage, goodness.¡± Eugh. I could imagine the scene inside the novel so clearly that I couldn¡¯t not swear if I wanted to. But Selene didn¡¯t miss that my expression was relaxed even amidst this. [Madam. So you¡¯re saying that His Majesty did not do that on purpose, right?] ¡°Would he even have had the interest to do that on purpose?¡± [Whaat? Isn¡¯t that pretty serious in its own way?] ¡°Sh¡­. Anyways, let¡¯s just say that I saw the smallest light of hope.¡± After hiding a meaningful smile, I quickly gestured at Selene to keep her mouth shut. The figure of Haniel waddling towards us with a pink ribbon in her beak was apparent through the cracked open door. [Mommy, dis one!] ¡°Oh my.¡± [Dis one. It¡¯s dis one!] I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at how she had, in complete excitement, dropped the ribbon because she¡¯d opened her beak, and now didn¡¯t know what to do. Chapter 82 She looked around for a little while, then held the ribbon back in her mouth and scurried towards me. As she did so, I patted down her head. [Mommy, it¡¯sh dirty!] ¡°That¡¯s okay. We can just brush it off.¡± [Howw?] Haniel pulled her neck out, though it had been shrunk back before. Maybe because she had been worried that she would be scolded. Only after I exaggeratedly flicked at the ribbon with my finger did Haniel regain her smile and beamed at me. [You get scolded in the Palace. Ouchies.] ¡°¡­.your brothers?¡± [No. Palace nanny. But bwother is scawier.] If she thought her brother was scarier than a nanny who hit her, how scared was she? Wrestling down my temper, I lifted Haniel up to my knees. When I only fiddled with the ribbon although Haniel offered her head to me as a way of saying she wanted to put the pink ribbon on quickly, Selene pecked at me. [Look at that. If she¡¯s trembling this much, then how are you going to take her to His Majesty the Emperor] ¡°But I¡¯m not going to take her.¡± [¡­¡­What?] ¡°Why would I take our princess?¡± I side-eyed Selene, laughing like I found it ridiculous. If I forcibly took a child who had sunk into the lake just because she saw him once, from afar, who knew what would happen? Only showing her good things would still be insufficient; it was enough that I, the mother, had the life-shortening experiences and heart attacks. ¡°For whose good? Anyways, the child is going to stay here.¡± [T-then, I¡¯d be the one staying here to take care of the princess so that she is safer and at more peace than anyone else, right?] Slink, slink. Selene was instinctively backing away. Seriously, there really was nobody else in the entire lake that had a survival instinct to surpass hers. ¡°Where are you going.¡± ¡°Quaack!!¡± Also, I was a cold-hearted mother who had nothing she couldn¡¯t do for the sake of her daughter¡¯s security. Grabbing the escaping Selene by the ankle, I sat her down on the seat next to Haniel. A perfect seat to be tying a ribbon on her very prettily, in fact. [Ma, Madaaam!] ¡°Be careful. If you make a wrong move, this ribbon might not be tied on your head, but your neck. Are you alright with that?¡± Wondering where I could tie the ribbon so that it would hide her face the most, I held the pink ribbon and tilted my head. [P-please don¡¯t do this! Please? There¡¯s no way His Majesty would be tricked by something like this!] ¡°I already told you how indifferent that man is.¡± [This is a crime! Deceiving the Emperor! No matter how much he might be, how would it make sense for him to not know the difference between a swan and a mallard?] ¡°Yup. It makes sense.¡± If it¡¯s that man. After holding down Selene¡¯s neck with one hand, I skillfully tied up the ribbon above it. Since she was frozen in place now, already stupefied, I tried to comfort her by covering her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He really won¡¯t know.¡± [Gurgh! How could he not know? He¡¯s not a duncehead stupid dummy goof or anything!] ¡°That¡¯s why.¡± I wiped the duck¡¯s tears that flowed under the ribbon and lowered my head slowly. ¡°¡­.want to bet with me?¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­Catherine, this bird is your¡­..¡± ¡°Yes. You saw her last time, right?¡± As Selene trembled in front of Rashid, I thrusted her out and stroked her head gently. That man¡¯s crumpled expression was as per usual, but since I had something to hide, a bit of nervousness ran through me. ¡°Her name is Reina.¡± ¡°¡­..this thing even has a name?¡± Even in the face of his incredulous smile, I gave him my biggest grin. ¡°Of course. All things in this world should have a name. And particularly, this child is my¡­..¡± ¡°Your daughter, presumably.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He doesn¡¯t know, he doesn¡¯t. Just how dense could you be? Though I had expected as much, I couldn¡¯t help how the corners of my lips were quivering. Selene¡¯s mouth, too, was silent under her ribbon, as if she had lost even the will to breathe. As for her emotions, they would be what I¡¯d already felt yesterday. ¡­what was up with this guy, he¡¯s as blind as a bat. ¡°Hm, but it didn¡¯t look like it was this color when I saw it before.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Chapter 83 Perhaps he wasn¡¯t completely blind¡ªRashid crossed his legs and propped up his chin. But I wasn¡¯t going to feel a prick in my conscience from just that. We hadn¡¯t even started. ¡°Is that right? Well, I suppose, since that time she sank into muddy water and her entire feathers were soaked. Isn¡¯t that why you might have thought that way?¡± ¡°¡­.Hmmm.¡± ¡°Look here. She has a ribbon.¡± I flauntingly lowered the ends of the pink ribbon to show him, blinking at him. Rashid, who had been motionlessly looking into my eyes, now made a tiresome face and waved his hand away. I breathed a sigh of relief at his attitude, which seemed to say that caring about whatever bird this was would be bothersome. ¡®I knew he¡¯d be like that.¡¯ *** What was I supposed to expect from a man who could barely remember his sister¡¯s age? At this point, it was pretty surprising he could even distinguish people¡¯s faces. There had been many animals at the lake that day, and if he¡¯d been someone with the delicacy enough to distinguish between them, his sister wouldn¡¯t have been driven out like this in the first place. ¡°Look carefully, one more time. Isn¡¯t she prettier on a second glance?¡± ¡°¡­.Put it away.¡± [Hup!] I could feel through the palm of my hand that Selene had been hurt, but I didn¡¯t lose my innocent smile. But if, in the future, this man ended up being pecked to death, I planned to hide the culprit until the very end. ¡®Sorry, Selene.¡¯ Though I gently petted her neck in an effort to comfort her in my arms, her anger did not disappear so easily. Up until the moment I¡¯d dragged her to the Emperor, she had only been worrying what would happen if we were caught, but now she had completely turned into his mortal enemy. ¡°¡­..But do you really have to go that far?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Not just taking it and caring for it, do you really have to cherish, hm¡­.¡± Rashid furrowed his brows, looking like he was trying to find the right words. He swept back his hair. I felt his vivid self-deprecation asking why he had to explain such a thing, but I couldn¡¯t let this pass over. ¡°Cherish, you say. This is quite normal.¡± ¡°Tying up a bird¡¯s head and massaging it like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Oh, Father. Please let me hit that man¡¯s mouth at least once, even if that¡¯s during my next life. I swallowed the impossible dream down, the corners of my lips quivering slightly. But then again, having a proper conversation with Rashid over a mere duck could be considered a miracle. ¡®I¡¯m sure this is just the start.¡¯ After talking to him yesterday, I had concluded that ¡®this guy¡¯s not rotten to the core¡¯. If only we could fix him up and reuse him, then what could be more reassuring than having a brother for an Emperor? And she had no less than seven brothers¡ªif I examined them carefully with my eyes wide open, then there might be at least one proper person among them. ¡®It¡¯s not a bad idea to prepare for when my baby returns to being a human.¡¯ This man gets to be as self-serving as he usually is, and I on my side can discover a good guardian. This was what they called killing two birds with one stone. No matter how good the male lead was, she needed a dependable family, too. I decided to walk the path of enlightenment with the desperate hidden intention of finding at least one person. ¡°Your Majesty, when you are caring for something, it¡¯s wrong to just let it into the house and leave it be.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because it is a life.¡± My response did seem like I was just parroting the same thing to him, but this much was the most truthful I could be. Be it animal or beast, or be it the Empire¡¯s princess. I needed to take this opportunity to astonish this man and tell him the true meaning of what caring for someone was. ¡°No matter how small or young, everyone has emotions.¡± ¡°¡­..That thing?¡± ¡°I already told you her name.¡± At this point, I could pretty much assume that this man¡¯s world was just filled with ¡°this, that, and those things¡±. Chapter 84 When I lowered my shoulder, feeling so helpless I was out of strength, Rashid¡¯s head jutted out. ¡°¡­¡­Reina, you said?¡± ¡°Yees! That¡¯s it!¡± Ding-ding-ding! When I rapidly regained my smile, the man flinched instead. He remembered that! When I stared at him with an amazed look, he turned his head and swept the back of his neck. ¡°Goodness, you sure are free. Giving a mere bird a name of all things.¡± ¡°Reina.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Rashid¡¯s two hands above the armrests of the throne squeezed into fists. If I was me from before, one look at this figure would have me rambling on in great anxiety, but now I knew. ¡°¡­¡­Yes, Reina.¡± That at the very least, this man did not wield his fists in just any situation. ¡°But about the lost princess.¡± ¡°What about Haniel?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I¡¯m glad your sister¡¯s name came out right away, at least. My expectations for this man were so low that I was actually sort of moved that he knew her name. When I beamed at him widely, Rashid¡¯s hand, which had been covering his mouth, while his elbow leaned on the armrest indifferently, rose a little higher. ¡°Well, that kid wouldn¡¯t know the difference between earth and sky.¡± ¡°What are you saying. You said she¡¯s three!¡± ¡°¡­..she¡¯s three?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Keep calm. He¡¯s not doing it on purpose. Momentarily dropping Selene, I buried my head in my hands for a second before I resurfaced. The image of Rashid staring at me like he couldn¡¯t tell what in the world I was doing tired me out excessively. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s say that she is. What about her?¡± ¡°¡­..Mm, I was just wondering if you had ever called her by her name, kindly.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Haniel endured this for three years. To think I, her mom, was having a hard time enduring beyond three minutes. My shoulder and neck area was slowly becoming stiffer and stiffer. Maybe because Selene felt the same, the way she stood there frozen in place, not even breathing audibly, reminded me of those mallard statues that sat at traditional Korean weddings. ¡°What do you mean, why? Then what have you called the princess until now?¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°¡­.that can¡¯t be all, right?¡± Please tell me it¡¯s not! Unable to hide my shock, when I cried out urgently, Rashid¡¯s eyebrows steepened further. ¡°I¡¯m only asking this just in case, but you didn¡¯t talk to her like, ¡®you sleep,¡¯ ¡®what are you doing,¡¯ ¡®wake up, you,¡¯ ¡®you eat,¡¯ or something like this, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­you really.¡± He muttered a few things about the witch being whatever, then seemed to return to consciousness belatedly and fixed his posture on his chair. As disturbed as I had become, this man¡¯s eyes were telling me, he too was pretty serious. ¡°It¡¯s not like I only do this to that child.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t your other siblings said anything about that? Asking to be called by name if you need to, for example, or to be treated more gently.¡± ¡°Those things?¡± Hiscold smile in reply didn¡¯t need any more explanation. Crossing his legs, Rashid tilted his head down, as if he found this ridiculous. ¡°Well, I¡¯d say they would never.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure? You can never know a person¡¯s heart. Isn¡¯t that right, Reina?¡± ¡°Quaaack!¡± I lifted the fiercely agreeing Selene back up. If he doesn¡¯t know, then I should show him like this. No matter how blind he was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to pretend not to know what happened in front of his eyes like this. ¡°Oh, is that right? You feel really happy when I call you by name gently?¡± ¡°Quaaack!¡± Oi, lower the volume a bit please. You could only agree to a certain point; what are you going to do if that man actually catches on? This was a vocalization that, regardless of who heard it, would be the equivalent of a middle-aged person¡¯s voice in humans. Nervous, I carefully examined Rashid, but instead of suspicion, his sour expression was so unwavering that not a single change had overcome him. ¡®¡­.Maybe I was Anne Sullivan* in my past life.¡¯ *T/N: Anne Sullivan was the renowned teacher of Helen Keller, who is usually seen as the model of patient and caring teachers. If I didn¡¯t remember so clearly that I had been a contracted worker at the zoo in my past life, I could have definitely mistaken myself. ¡°Phew.¡± Chapter 85 I let out a deep sigh, though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from relief or from unhappiness. Anyhow, whether the Emperor had blind eyes or dead eyes, it was clear that he was staring at me, so I patted Selene¡¯s head as affectionately as I could and called her name once more. Regardless of how much Selene might shudder, if I could enlighten this man even just the smallest bit, there was nothing I couldn¡¯t do. ¡°You like it that much? Aww, you¡¯re just sweet.¡± ¡°¡­..Quaaaaack.¡± Madam, how much longer do we have to do this. Selene¡¯s timid protest flooded me, but I closed my eyes firmly. I¡¯m not doing this because I want to either, okay? When I cracked open my eyes to see if this man was watching properly, his expression with his hand on his chin was a bit strange. ¡°Uh¡­. What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not that hard, you just need to call them by name like this¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I just had a sudden thought, but¡­..¡± Just like our Haniel, Rashid¡¯s head tilted exactly 25 degrees to the left. This was really a gesture that only came out when he had a very strong question to ask. ¡°You also don¡¯t know my name, isn¡¯t that right?¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­..¡± What did you have to do for your mind¡¯s thought process to ricochet out like that. As I slowly removed Selene from myself while she¡¯d been rubbing her cheeks on me, I looked at him. From what I knew, among all the people who would feel good if they were called by name, there was only one person who was the exception. The ruler of the empire, who¡¯d swept through the entire continent, the one whose word was thereby law¡­. In other words, the Emperor. ¡°Rashid.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Rashid, my name.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Ah, yeees.¡± But so what. Even if I knew, if I called him by name whenever I wanted, I¡¯d be found guilty for treason and my neck would be cut off. He seemed so expectant of who-knew-what that he was even leaning forward and staring point-blank at me, until he also seemed to realize that something was strange and didn¡¯t urge me any longer. Seeing it this way, except for matters regarding his younger sister, he really did have a side to him that was keener than anyone else. ¡°Come here, my dear.¡± ¡°¡­.Quack.¡± Since I couldn¡¯t keep holding out awkwardly like this, I ended up going back to acting friendly with Selene. Though it wasn¡¯t at my princess¡¯s level, Selene also had clearly colored feathers, with no tear stains and straight, so she could also be called quite a beauty herself. ¡®Stop moving, goodness.¡¯ As I patted her head and brushed down her feathers visibly, time went by pretty quickly as well. Since expecting any kind of response from this man would be a waste of time from the start, I didn¡¯t really need to sound him out. But if there was an advantage to that¡­. That also meant I didn¡¯t have to walk on eggshells around him as much, too. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Haha, stop it. It tickles.¡± When Selene pecked my hand telling me she wanted to go home now, I touched her beak and laughed lightly. It wasn¡¯t easy to forget the existence of a man with as much presence as he had, but strangely enough, I felt more at ease the more time passed. ¡®Oh whatever.¡¯ He may look at me with displeasure, but he wouldn¡¯t treat me harshly. He may glare death threats at me, but he wouldn¡¯t kill me. He may smile so coldly, it feels like it would shatter the world, but he would leave my world alone. That was this man¡¯s greatest merit that I, as Miss Sullivan, had discovered. *** When I looked up at him with a smile that said I was proud of him, Rashid¡¯s lips moved, as if he was about to say something. ¡°Catherine¡­.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, we have come back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Rashid¡¯s lips stopped moving the same time this and that, no, Tenon and Peyton, who had been chasing down traces of Loam under the pretext of inspection, came in. Following the rules of courtesy, I was about to greet the imperial princes first, but stopped once I saw the unusual glint in his eyes. Chapter 86 ¡°Oh, you were also here, Duchess.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Was he the third prince? But still, I was a bit touched that he was polite enough to extend the courtesy of greeting me first. You could say that another of the emperor¡¯s good points was that he made nearly all reasonable men in his surroundings seem well-mannered. ¡°Hm¡­..¡± The way the two brothers were inspecting me was a bit strange, but this, too, was a little different from the last time. Their pitiful looks had previously had some traces of suspicion, but now they contained a trace of sympathy for me somehow. When I pressed my lips together awkwardly, Tenon pointed to Selene seemingly in an effort to divert the current atmosphere. ¡°Is that bird perhaps¡­..¡± ¡°Ohh, we must greet him. Hurry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come on. Say ¡®hello, my name is Reina.¡¯¡± I acted like I was debuting a newborn baby still carried on my back, even practicing ventriloquism as my face heated up. Politely, but not so much like a real person. That was her important mission. Perhaps because she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer either, Selene¡¯s head drooped. ¡°¡­..quaack.¡± ¡°Please understand. She is a bit shy. She¡¯s someone I¡¯m raising like my own daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I, I see.¡± Tenon bit the inside of his mouth, making a face like he didn¡¯t know where to look. From what I¡¯d heard, he was the captain of the palace guard, but he seemed like he was more bashful than he looked. ¡®But would this brother be a bit better?¡¯ Let¡¯s see. Without hiding a single speck of expectation, I cautiously turned my eyes to them. Though it was unsure whether they knew they had become candidates in the screening for ¡®Haniel¡¯s Backup Guardian¡¯ or not, the two men were looking at Selene with mixed feelings. Good. They had the heart to look at an animal. Plus 10 points. First of all, no matter what these men did, nothing was more certain than the fact that they¡¯d already surpassed the man sitting on that throne over there. ¡°Now that I think about it, you must be keeping many animals in the palace as well. From what His Majesty has said, I¡¯ve heard he also has a sizable dog.¡± ¡°Oh, you must mean that dog.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Okay, so it was clear that none of them named animals. But on the other hand, seeing how these brothers steadily kept their consistency, I was now grateful that Haniel had a name, even if it was one they didn¡¯t call. The more I saw them, the more the brothers enlightened me to the fact that ¡®this situation is relatively the best it could be.¡¯ ¡°Yees. About that dog. With how many princes there are, how much care the dog must be getting! Just like our Reina here.¡± ¡°¡­I, I wonder.¡± In contrast to how Peyton¡¯s expression became solemn on the side, Tenon became a bit triumphant as he seemed to remember something. ¡°Though the dog mostly is by our eldest brother, His Majesty¡¯s side, once in a while I do take it on walks.¡± ¡°Oh my, so you have! That¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Clap clap clap! Tenon¡¯s cheeks reddened at the praise, which was more intense than he¡¯d expected. Though he seemed to wonder if this was really something to be praised, he also didn¡¯t seem to hate it. ¡°Ahem, for I thought as an animal that has the blood of a magical beast, forcing it to stay inside did not seem like it would be a good idea.¡± ¡°Of course! That¡¯s exactly right!¡± Look! You all are humans too, so there has to be something we can wring out of you that you did well! ¡°As you may expect, giving affection like that as you bring the dog around here and there is good for their emotional development. Of course, in front of delicate babies, or¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. It was also I who had suggested to His Majesty to bring the dog to Haniel.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± What did you say, punk? I lowered the hand that I¡¯d raised to clap in agreement and tucked my hair behind my ear instead. Seemingly oblivious to how I¡¯d fallen silent, Tenon continued talking longer than ever. ¡°Since he insisted on going to see the child, I recommended it to him. After all, that dog is the only one blood-related to magical beasts in the empire, so anyone who sees it would be sure to admire it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I see.¡± Chapter 87 ¡°Since they said the princess is now in the stage where she can differentiate between objects, I thought seeing something like that instead of just going would be good for her development, so.¡± ¡°Aaah.¡± Endure it. He really has no bad intentions. You just need to keep it in, that¡¯s all. Back to being Miss Sullivan the teacher, I swept my hand across my neck, trying to pass over this unbearable emotion. The cool air from the exposed back of my neck lasted for only a moment. As soon as Rashid stepped out, nervousness became plain to see on the two princes¡¯ faces. ¡°So, did you need this long to report that you failed to find the child?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± At the sudden cold interference, Tenon¡¯s face flushed red. As if he had been watching to see how far he would go, everything about Rashid had sunken grimly. ¡°Who was it that told me to be careful again?¡± ¡°I, I apologize, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± I hadn¡¯t known what to do when I was being scolded; seeing others being scolded made me feel at a loss even more. His eyes had only been indifferent when looking at Selene and me, but as soon as he stood in front of his younger brothers, they became completely cold. ¡°Um, then, I think it¡¯s best that I go on my way now.¡± ¡°What of this?¡± ¡°Oh¡­.. Reina.¡± Abruptly lifted up into the Emperor¡¯s hand from where she had been on the table, Selene¡¯s body stiffened. Take what is yours. That being exactly what he seemed to mean, Rashid was about to carelessly hand her over to me, until his expression changed. ¡°This¡­..¡± ¡°What is the matter? Please give her to me quickly.¡± Though I extended my two hands to him politely, his head as he looked upon the mallard duck once again tilted 25 degrees. ¡°¡­..doesn¡¯t seem like your daughter.¡± *** At the Emperor¡¯s shocking statement, I also stiffened to an extent that exceeded Selene. As he stared at Selene without moving, Rashid made a doubtful face and held her body up. ¡°¡­..Catherine, are you sure this is your daughter?¡± ¡°Yees?¡± What the. Maybe he wasn¡¯t blind as a bat. A chill ran up my spine at his unexpected enlightenment. Though he had seemed suspicious when I¡¯d first come in, this time he was making an expression of certainty. It wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d be able to insist my way out of. My lips could only shake, lost for words. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°But Your Majesty, it¡¯s wearing the same ribbon.¡± Perhaps because he thought there was no other way, Tenon also took my side. Though that sounded like something I¡¯d heard before, my mind had already blanked out into white, and I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Your Majesty might believe it so, but there is no way the Duchess would risk her precious life to lie about that to the Empire¡¯s Sun, His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Duchess?¡± Please, don¡¯t open up the path to death so kindly like that. Unable to do anything, I could only bite into my lips hard. I had been worried that the Emperor would yell at me for tricking him, but he remained silent for much longer. Peyton, who¡¯d been inspecting him cautiously in my stead, said something to the Emperor as he looked down upon Selene. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know why you think that way, but¡­.¡± ¡°The feeling¡¯s different.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°The feeling is different when I¡¯m holding it.¡± After finally handing Selene over to me, Rashid calmly looked down onto his own hand. Though he couldn¡¯t even distinguish between papers or colors, he was apparently certain about the sensations of his own hand if nothing else. ¡°When I lifted it up from the lake, it definitely¡­.¡± He opened his mouth as if he¡¯d attempt to explain the feeling, but he could not finish it. He glanced at me, and I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again at his indifferent gaze. ¡°Catherine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± If I said that instead of feeling regret at not insisting to the very end, I felt more happiness at knowing this man remembered Haniel, I¡¯d be actually crazy, right? I bowed my head down, suppressing the emotions I couldn¡¯t help. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My daughter had some other circumstances, so there was no other way.¡± ¡°What other circumstances?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She went to school. Our baby needs to get a perfect attendance award, you know. Chapter 88 Unable to speak, my lower lip trembled. It probably didn¡¯t matter to him whether this duck was my daughter or not, but it was my fault that I had deceived the Emperor, so even begging until I died wouldn¡¯t be enough. ¡°She has a lot of fear. And she is very, very shy.¡± ¡°More than that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± When the Emperor¡¯s finger pointed towards me, Selene was already half gone. Her legs were shaking, and if someone saw and took her for having collapsed, I would have a hard time stopping them. ¡°Yes. This child over here is on the social side. Which is why today¡­. I brought her.¡± ¡°Even as you lied to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Tell me. Why did you do that?¡± Instead of whether Selene was my daughter or not, he now seemed like he took more offense in the fact that I had lied. An especially calm and low tone of voice, that was the sign that this man was now in a bad mood. *** I wasn¡¯t sure how we¡¯d come to know each other this well, but my thoughts remained the same. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t bring her.¡¯ If our Haniel had seen her brother¡¯s eyes like this, she would have definitely had another convulsion. Even if he glared at me like this, I, well, I was someone who¡¯d done something wrong, so I deserved it. Still, it would feel very excessive for a baby to be exposed to this. ¡°Why, did you think I would do something to your daughter?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Wouldn¡¯t you have? When my eyes slid up to his, his red eyes shook almost imperceptibly. Clear eyes, seeming like he¡¯d been a bit hurt. Though I knew that wasn¡¯t possible, from my perspective as an observer, it was enough to prick at my own chest. ¡°Who am I to you that you¡¯d think I¡¯d put my hands on such a little¡­¡± ¡°I-in case you get distressed!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± His red eyes, which had still been rippling slowly, narrowed as if he was faltering. ¡°You personally told me to bring my own daughter, but I thought, ¡®how much must he love and care for animals that he would ask that of me.¡¯ Hic¡­¡± ¡°¡­.No, our brother wouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°Shut that mouth, Tenon.¡± Continue. At one shake of Rashid¡¯s head, Tenon awkwardly left off trying to stop her from saying what wasn¡¯t true. Turning back to him, who appeared to be waiting for me to speak, I pressed my trembling lips with the back of my hand. ¡°Though, though this is not my daughter, I wanted to show her to someone so much that¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I did so in hopes of bringing even the smallest joy to Your Majesty, but¡­. sob.¡± When I bit my mouth holding back more sobs, even Selene, who had collapsed and died, slowly stood back up. She waddled closer to me like she was taking my side, and I hugged her tightly and placed my cheek on her head. ¡°Mmmph, I¡¯m sorry, Selene. To think you¡¯d die as well, all because of me.¡± ¡°¡­.Qua, quack!!¡± ¡°I¡¯d only wished not to disappoint His Majesty, but I never would¡¯ve thought that your head would be cut off, too, even though you¡¯ve done nothing wrong. Hic hic.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s cutting whose head now?¡± ¡°¡­.you¡¯re not going to?¡± A yell. His one question somewhat shattered the tight tension in my body. With tears glistening in my eyes, I blinked and tried holding out Selene to him once more. ¡°If, if you look closely, Selene is quite charming and beautiful too, though not as much as Reina¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, so leave.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Rashid waved his hand at Selene, who was still being offered to him, and turned away. Poor Selene. Once again, she had been heartlessly rejected right in front of her face. Holding her in my arms, I hastily headed outside. If there was another truth I¡¯d learned from knowing and spending time with this man, it was that if I didn¡¯t leave quickly when he was angry, then I wouldn¡¯t have a second chance. ¡°Wait¡­.¡± See? If you¡¯re even a little late, he does this. ¡°¡­.hic, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Tomorrow, bring her properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll learn whether I¡¯ll follow your expectations or not then.¡± Chapter 89 I wasn¡¯t sure if he was being obstinate out of pride or if he was ordering me, but he really wasn¡¯t a man easy to deal with. As I lowered my head wiping away tears that continued to flow freely, Rashid¡¯s expression also grew faint. ¡°Heup.¡± As soon as I was outside, I barely managed to calm myself down with panting breaths. When I lifted my sleeve to my eyes as tears streamed down regardless of how much I wiped them away, Selene¡¯s sincere concern reached me. [Ma, Madam.] ¡°Selene, heummph.¡± [Please stop. Nobody¡¯s looking anymore.] ¡°¡­..really?¡± Lowering my arm, I finally tossed my hair back. Hoo. The long exhale that came out of my mouth cooled my eyes. ¡°Wow, we really almost died. Right?¡± [Why is it ¡®we¡¯? You were the one who started everything, madam¡­] ¡°But we¡¯re alive now thanks to my crying act.¡± Just in case we might be seen from the window, I tirelessly moved my shoulders up and down, though I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d see that from the inside. Even as she pouted, Selene was eventually unable to say anything, and I pressed at her twitching cheek. ¡°I hadn¡¯t known, but I think I really do have a talent.¡± *** ¡°¡­..What do you mean, you¡¯re good at that.¡± If you¡¯re going to do it, do it properly. Turning by the window, Rashid held his fingers under his ears. He looked displeased, like he had a headache, and the tightened corners of his mouth did not loosen as he bit the insides of his cheeks. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty? We couldn¡¯t hear what you said.¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Rashid shook his head at Tenon who, as always, was carefully watching his mood. Peyton had been looking at the open door from his spot, and he opened his mouth to speak with a regrettable tone. ¡°The Duchess seemed like she was very surprised.¡± ¡°I thought so too. Though after being pressured and dragged about by eldest brother, there¡¯s enough reason for her to pour out her tears like that¡­¡± ¡°You guys really¡­¡± You didn¡¯t see that? Sigh. An ambiguous glint of satisfaction found its way into Rashid¡¯s eyes as he glanced past his brothers. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling, knowing that he was the only one who¡¯d recognized the lady¡¯s cunning eyes inside her weeping. You foolish things. Moments away from telling his brothers off, he paused again. ¡°¡­..¡± Because if they asked then why he¡¯d let her go even when he knew, he didn¡¯t have an answer. ¡°By the way, how did you distinguish the Duchess¡¯s duck, eldest brother?¡± ¡°You mean Reina?¡± ¡°Oh¡­.. yes.¡± Hearing such a soft name that seemed like it would never come out of that mouth of his, the princes either pushed back their hair or rubbed their noses for no reason. ¡°Yes. Tha¡­..that one.¡± ¡°I am curious as to how different they must¡¯ve been when you held them that Your Majesty was able to realize right away.¡± ¡°The one before was much more¡­..¡± As Rashid began answering Tenon, his mouth slowed. It was an instinctual thing, so he had no idea how to reply, but even with the same frozen bodies, the feeling was somewhat¡­. Anyhow, it was a feeling that was pretty unrelated to the life he¡¯d led up until now. But the way things got more complicated the more he thought of it, it seemed like it took after its supposed mother, Catherine. If he was to think of someone that would be most similar to it from his entire life, then¡­.. ¡°How is the investigation for Haniel going?¡± ¡°Wizards have surrounded the borders and we are continuing to monitor through the magic tower.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this all in vain if Uncle isn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± The brothers hadn¡¯t expected to acknowledge Loam¡¯s abilities in this way, so they momentarily lapsed into silence. They¡¯d have never thought they¡¯d come to realize that he was on this level, enough that nothing could be guaranteed against him without their uncle, the Great Wizard, like this. ¡°Though I don¡¯t know when his abilities grew to this, he won¡¯t be able to hide forever. Besides, if he¡¯s bringing Haniel along, he¡¯ll have to be greatly restricted as well.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re sure he¡¯s bringing her along?¡± ¡°¡­..Your Majesty.¡± As Rashid was saying, no matter what Loam did that was worthy of execution, if he really had Haniel with him, they wouldn¡¯t be in such an emergency state as they were now. Though nobody had said so out loud, the real problem began if Haniel fell to another person¡¯s hands. Chapter 90 ¡°Whoever it is, the moment I catch them, I¡¯ll make them regret they were ever alive.¡± ¡°Before we consider that!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Again, Rashid yelled first, but his expression grew more complicated over time. As for the things that had kidnapped the princess, he was planning to end them with his own hands without needing his brothers¡¯ involvement. Without needing to borrow a sword either, only with these two hands. But now, for some reason, the things that he¡¯d considered obvious were beginning to bother him, and he really didn¡¯t know why. Like he¡¯d actually been cursed or something. As he attempted to think up the source to this, Rashid fisted the hair that he¡¯d been meaning to sweep away. ¡°You guys¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°No, Tenon. Peyton.¡± When the names of the tense princes were called, they assumed even more rigid postures. Seeing that, Rashid slowly went past them. ¡°Why are you doing that? I haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s because you called us by name like that, and¡­.¡± ¡°And?¡± At the weighty pressure to tell the truth, Tenon hung his head low. ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve committed a capital offense.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Of, of course. Calling us ¡®you¡¯ or ¡®that¡¯ is a hundred times better; if you call us by name, it feels like I will have to offer up my neck immediately afterwards.¡± ¡°¡­..Hmm.¡± As expected. How could she be correct. Resting his arm on the window sill, Rashid¡¯s smile regained its composure. Though it wasn¡¯t certain whether he was glad to know her words weren¡¯t all true or because of some other reason, this newfound composure did not last long either. ¡°¡­¡­¡± His gaze as he looked outside the window he was leaning on became more complicated than before. If Catherine had put a curse on him, that would be a problem, but even if she hadn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be very pleased. ¡°¡­¡­really, what is she planning to do.¡± *** [Okaay, when you¡¯re looking for food in the lake, you need to put your head into the water, right?] [Yees!] As soon as Teacher Darren ended his demonstration, all the new students put their heads into the water. Splish splash. Even though the sound of water splashing could be heard from all over, Haniel only winced, as if she was afraid. [Reina, what are you doing there? Aren¡¯t you going to do it?] [Mmm?] [Leave her alone, Mack. She even drowned in the lake last time. What kind of swan sinks instead of swimming?] [Oohh, right. That happened, huh?] [¡­¡­no. That¡¯s not it.] *** Looking at the insistent ducks surrounding her, Haniel¡¯s beak could only shake. No, you¡¯re wrong, if I stay still like this I can float on the water. There was a lot she wanted to say, but it was true that fear flared up inside her when she looked into the deep blue water. [Look at that, I told you she can¡¯t! A swan who can¡¯t swim!] [¡­¡­sniff.] In the end, tears rushed to her eyes first, but she didn¡¯t want to show it to anybody. Haniel tried to withdraw with a tearful face, but the children had already surrounded her in a circle. [¡­.Mo-Mommyy.] [What are you kids doing?] After bypassing the children and easily approaching her, Darren gave them a stern look. Oops. The children made quick escapes in case they might be scolded, and only after that did the tears just barely hanging onto her eyes fall one by one. [Reina, are you alright?] [Hueh. Yees.] [¡­..] Apart from her mother, only Teacher Darren treated her this kindly. Blinking, Haniel began nodding her head as soon as she saw him. [I can swim! Ish chwoo!]* *Baby talk translated: I can swim! It¡¯s true! [Really?] [Yesh. My mommy said I¡¯m good at it! She said I can do my wings lie, lie dis.] *Like, like this. [Oh, I see.] That¡¯s good. With a smile, Darren slowly led Haniel out of the water. Though she hadn¡¯t even shaken off the water on her body properly yet, as soon as the subject of her mother came up, Haniel began to babble excitedly about things nobody had asked about. [Mommy said, mommy said she¡¯sh gonna bwing me home!] [You really like your mommy, don¡¯t you, Reina?] [Yeesh. My mommy ish the best!] Chapter 91 Haniel was especially shy and did not talk, but as soon as her mommy was mentioned, she would become excited and start chattering. When she repeated the short phrase [She¡¯s pwetty and cool and the best], Darren spread his wings and smiled. [Then do you want to live with your mother forever?] [Fowevuh?] What¡¯s that? When Haniel tilted her head to the left, Darren petted her glossy feathers with his open wing. [It means you don¡¯t separate for a very long time, and that you¡¯re next to them until the end.] [Ohh, it¡¯sh a good thing.] It was a very very good thing! Haniel beamed as she flapped her wings. [Mommy¡¯s gonna come get me. She¡¯s gonna come and hug me like dis and spin spin awound! Mommy said so!] [Is that so?] Well, isn¡¯t she energetic. As Darren listened to Haniel¡¯s words with a smile, he sensed somebody approaching behind him and turned his head. The parent, as in, the Duchess was, just as her daughter had said, climbing up the lake¡¯s hill. It was obvious though that she looked so exhausted in both mind and body that she was barely supporting her own body, let alone about to give anyone a hug. [Looks like it¡¯ll be hard for your mother to hug you today, though.] [Ueh?] That can¡¯t be? Shaking her head from side to side, Haniel lifted up the sole of one webbed foot. As she was bringing her to school in the morning, she had promised her countless times into her feathers. ¡®Why? What about mommy?¡¯ Darren looked at Haniel and her blinking, gem-like eyes with worry. As things stood, she was already downcast due to the strict Lady Melleo, and she was still a child being teased in the midst of her peers. But if even her mother, who¡¯d come to pick her up, was out of energy and couldn¡¯t hug her, she would definitely be disappointed. ¡°Ah¡­..¡± At that moment, the Duchess finally discovered her child as she reached the top of the hill. She bit her lips with a face that had grown gaunt in the short amount of time, due to whatever it must¡¯ve been that happened down below. Though he didn¡¯t know what he could do, Darren also could not tear his eyes away from the mother-daughter pair. ¡°Baby, mommy¡¯s here!¡± The first one to smile brightly was the Duchess. The expression she¡¯d had, looking like she held all the grievances of the world on her shoulders, was completely erased by her instinctive smile the moment she saw her daughter. ¡°Reinaaa!¡± She probably didn¡¯t even know what expression she was making. Her shoulders had been sagging as if every step she took was burdensome, but now her speed gradually quickened as she ran towards her daughter. ¡°When did you come out! I told you mommy will come!¡± [Mommyyyyy!] Haniel as well pitter-pattered closer with her two wings spread out. However, when Catherine knelt down to pick her up and hug her, Haniel took a step back and shook her head. [No, it¡¯sh okay!] ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Mommy promised to pick you up and spin you around.¡± [No no. It¡¯sh okay.] Perhaps saddened by Haniel¡¯s consecutive rejections, the Duchess pushed out her lower lip. ¡°It¡¯s okay even if mommy doesn¡¯t hug you?¡± [Yesh. It¡¯sh fine.] To think this day would come this quickly, when it had only been a few days since she¡¯d started raising her. The way the sulky Duchess¡¯s expressions changed was even more dramatic than the young swan¡¯s. ¡°Baby, Mommy is¡­.¡± [Mommy ish Haniel¡¯s fo-eva!] For her sullen mother, Haniel¡¯s white wing softly covered the back of her hand. [My mommy is fweva foweva, so it¡¯sh okay!] *** ¡°Haniel, say that again. If I do this, what do you say?¡± [I love mommy foweva!] ¡°Oohh.¡± When I tickled Haniel¡¯s left cheek, her little beak chattered. But I couldn¡¯t stop here. This time, I tickled her right cheek. ¡°And if I do this?¡± [I¡¯ll fo-eva like mommy!] ¡°Kyaa!¡± What do I do with this child? Children really do need to be taught well! Hugging my very own jukebox Haniel, it had already been a few hours since I wasn¡¯t able to get up from the bed. Rolling this way, rolling that way, there was really nothing like a child¡¯s adorable tricks to help you forget all your worries of the outside world. Chapter 92 ¡°Hahaha, when did our princess learn to do this¡­¡± [¡­..This mother and daughter pair never changes, huh.] ¡°Right? Even when you see us, Selene, you think that we¡¯re¡­.¡± [Always saying to enjoy living today and only today, like tomorrow doesn¡¯t exist, that is.] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Snap. Just like how I¡¯d immediately stopped crying, I automatically stopped laughing. Putting down Haniel from my arms, I belatedly sat with my arms around my knees, but I couldn¡¯t deceive Selene¡¯s eyes. [Don¡¯t act gloomy when you¡¯re not. That would only work on His Majesty the Emperor.] ¡°But if I smile, you¡¯ll say something about that too.¡± [Then should I praise you for being able to smile well in this situation?] Though Selene was crying out her complaints like this, she wasn¡¯t exactly being unreasonable. Immediately tomorrow, he¡¯d really said to bring Haniel along, but I was completely lost on just how I¡¯d bring this small child there. I¡¯d thought maybe I could forcefully have her sleep and bring her in a basket, but if I did that and she woke up in the middle, then she might be even more shocked and be petrified. [Mommy, what¡¯sh wong?] ¡°Hmm?¡± Sensitive to my emotions, Haniel became greatly anxious again. Actually, Haniel was the one who¡¯d looked down since yesterday, not me. ¡°Haniel, Teacher Darren taught you ¡®forever,¡¯ right?¡± [Yeesh, I like Teacher Dawwen! Sho cool!] ¡°Then what about Lady Melleo?¡± [Um, that¡¯sh¡­.] As I thought, that granny was the problem, huh. Though I had suspected it, my heart broke when I saw my child¡¯s face falling quickly. To be honest, Lady Melleo was meticulous, but she wasn¡¯t the type of person to intentionally make someone¡¯s life hard. It was just that as a noble, her pride was rather aloof, and so the embarrassment she¡¯d gotten from that day must¡¯ve been a huge wound to her. ¡®But she¡¯s being so obvious about it!¡¯ To tender-hearted Haniel, one chilly look, or a sharp word, from anyone was enough to hurt her greatly. Of course, the man who¡¯d brought all this trauma was far from hurt himself¡ªI¡¯d personally witnessed his high spirits today as well. [Teacher Merong scawy. As scawy as Empewor bwother.] ¡°My goodness, that much?¡± The maximum value that Haniel could express appeared. If she was mentioning her oldest brother, who was basically the final boss in terms of scariness, then it meant that she was very frightened. ¡°Then do you want to stop going to school now?¡± [But¡­ Then I can¡¯t shee Teacher Dawwen.] ¡°¡­.Oh, my baby.¡± Don¡¯t tell me you resemble your nanny. With mixed feelings, I brushed Haniel¡¯s head as she revealed her affection for her teacher very early. Anyway, even I could see that Teacher Darren really had a handsome appearance with a personality that couldn¡¯t be warmer. ¡®If only that man took after even just half¡ªno, half of a half of him.¡¯ Picturing the person who naturally sprang up in my thoughts, I patted the crestfallen child. My most pressing concern was how I would take Haniel in front of that man tomorrow, but my heart kept languishing over Haniel, who was hurting, unable to find my way out. What could I do to relieve her heart even the tiniest bit? I tried gently rubbing Haniel¡¯s feeble beak. ¡°Baby, about your brother in the palace.¡± [Bwother scawy, bwother scawy foweva and eva.] ¡°¡­..¡± Who taught you that word. Returning back to being a jukebox doll, Haniel began shaking her head even before she¡¯d properly heard the name. It seemed like the word ¡®brother¡¯ itself had been enforced as completely negative to Haniel already. ¡°But¡­. Haniel. There must be a better brother though, isn¡¯t that right? It¡¯s not like you hate and dislike all your brothers?¡± [¡­..That¡¯sh not it.] ¡°Right? If it¡¯s our Haniel, then definitely¡­.¡± [Yesh. Excshept for Empwer bwother.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± And among them, the oldest brother seemed to have especially become the symbol of terror. Even though she had easily smiled up until then, she now paled and made this difference she felt between her brothers clear two or three more times. [Excshept for Empwer bwother, little scawy. Empwer bwother ish fowever scawy.] ¡°¡­¡­.that much?¡± [Empwer bwother hate Haniel. Don¡¯t like Haniel.] ¡°Why do you think that?¡± At the very least, I wanted to tell her that that wasn¡¯t true, but the three-year-old baby¡¯s heart was already turned away. She also wasn¡¯t old enough to understand me if I tried to tell her this and that forcefully. Chapter 93 ¡®Even if he¡¯d hit her, she wouldn¡¯t be this afraid of him.¡¯ Anyways, at this rate I wouldn¡¯t be able to take her. Tumbling to my side as I placed my palm on my forehead, Haniel also brought her wing up and covered her face. [Mommyy, lookit this.] ¡°What is thaat?¡± Her small actions of trying to imitate my gestures correctly made my eyes curve up into a smile. Just like Selene had said, even if I lived for just today, if I could feel this way then I would have no regrets. [Haniel and Mommy ish same?] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But that was me¡ªthe future of this beautiful child needed to be bright and promising. It was okay if she wasn¡¯t the main character. One day, she would become the most loved young lady in the world, and the day when she would be loved in the body of a human would come as well. And immediately tomorrow, she needed to receive affection from her strict principal teacher as well. [Mommyy, Haniel ish going to skool tomorrow too?] ¡°Mmhm, yes you do. You can¡¯t give up this easily just because it¡¯s hard. What did mommy promise to give you when you get the perfect attendance award?¡± [The pwettiest wibbon foweva foweva!] Good! In hopes that today, at least, she¡¯ll sleep with a peaceful heart, I gave her my pinky finger as her reliable mother. ¡°Mommy will go tomorrow and scold Teacher Melleo!¡± *** ¡°Ummm, Teeaacher.¡± [¡­..what brings you here again, Duchess?] Pouting, Lady Melleo had her head turned, her expression dour. ¡°What do you mean, what brings me here. Goodness, teacher. I of course came because I left my child in your care, but I felt I¡¯ve been too neglectful. Haha.¡± I felt I was stooping too low for that to be the case, but what could I do? There was nothing else a school parent could do. ¡°¡­¡­¡­And I was also worried you may have gotten hurt from last time.¡± [Well, it isn¡¯t something to keep reminiscing about in my life, but as my wing joints were certainly pried open, my bones do ache some.] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She was definitely sulking. No medicine would fix her now. As Lady Melleo pointedly looked down at her bent wing, I modestly gathered my two hands together. I¡¯d thought that I¡¯d only ever stand like this my entire life in front of the emperor, but if it was for our Haniel, there was nothing I couldn¡¯t do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have done something then¡­.¡± [What fault would be yours, Duchess? You would not have brought him deliberately.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [I understand your feelings, so you may return now. I still have classes for the higher grades, so¡­.] ¡°Oh my, what do you mean? I still haven¡¯t shown you my feelings.¡± [Let, let me go. I said, you must let me¡­. Quaaack!] As hurried as I was, I grabbed her wing and dragged her behind a tree. What¡¯s the point if you leave now! Only after I confirmed that Haniel couldn¡¯t see us did I go back to imploring her with an agonized look. ¡°The, the truth is, I have a little something to give you.¡± [¡­¡­What rudeness is this, and you said something to give?] With her wings close to being twisted now, Lady Melleo openly gave me a sidelong scowl. I didn¡¯t succumb to that and opened the basket I¡¯d brought with me instead. ¡°P-please have some of this.¡± [What is this?] What do you mean, what. Your face tells me you already know. Thrusting her beak out, Lady Melleo sniffed, before her eyes met mine and she returned to her position in a flash. As I let out an insincere haha, I pointedly brought out the fish jerkies inside the basket one by one. Not only common carp, the Crucian carp, and freshwater fish, I even had grilled fish fillets I¡¯d bought from a seagull that had come from the ocean. When Selene, who had been acting as lookout, saw all of this, she went into shock. ¡°These are fish jerkies I dried myself. I tried my best to fit your tastes, but I wonder how you¡¯d feel.¡± Who would¡¯ve thought that I¡¯d ever bribe a bird, of all things, in my life? It may not be money, but at this lake, these were top-class products that even money wouldn¡¯t be able to buy. I mean, this was something that had even gone into that haughty Lania¡¯s mouth, too. [Why would you give such a thing to me¡­.] ¡°I thought I left my child in your care and failed to be attentive. There is no other meaning to this, so please don¡¯t feel burdened and¡­.¡± [Duchess!] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Quack quack. After roaring unlike how she usually was, Lady Melleo¡¯s eyes filled with contempt. Since she had always observed good manners to me as the Duchess, this was the first time I¡¯d seen her this mad. [Who do you think I am that you would give such bribes!] ¡°Th-that wasn¡¯t my intention¡­.¡± [My entire life, the only joy that I have had is to watch young girls become proper ladies. And yet why do you insult me in this way?] Chapter 94 ¡°T-teeacher.¡± Suddenly turned into a proper educator out of the blue, I reached my two hands out to her as if clinging to her, but Lady Melleo was relentless. [It is true that I have acted more or less cold to Reina, your adopted daughter, but I did so intentionally because Miss Reina is excessively timid and has many fears.] ¡°¡­¡­Oh.¡± [If she is hurt by my mere words, then how will she survive in this perilous wilderness that is the lake? More so because she is not the blood-related daughter of you, the Duchess, so she will end up hearing many things as well.] ¡°Tee-ee-aa-ch-ee-rr.¡± Hiccup. Pulling out a handkerchief and covering my mouth, sobs different from yesterday¡¯s burst out of my mouth. She watched me with a seemingly displeased look, then turned away as if there was nothing that could be done. [Anyhow, I will pretend I have not seen this. Duchess as well, please go back now.] ¡°S-still, couldn¡¯t you eat this all together as a snack? I prepared it specially. There¡¯s enough for all the children to eat, too.¡± [¡­¡­..] Fortunately, this time she didn¡¯t say it was good or bad. From my experiences with this type of person recently, that much could be seen as half an acceptance already. ¡°Then I will be going with a heart of self-reflection. I¡¯m sorry for insulting Lady Melleo¡¯s excellent educational philosophy.¡± [¡­¡­I will accept the apology for now.] Her sharp tone had also subsided a bit. Before she could change her mind and tell me to take it with me, I hurriedly picked Selene up and went down the valley. My chest rose and fell breathlessly. ¡°Haa, haa, then she should¡¯ve told me beforehand that she was doing that. How am I supposed to know what she was thinking? Am I her student?¡± [That¡¯s true. And it wasn¡¯t like she was going to refuse it in the end.] Selene was even more enraged than I was. But that anger was not only directed to Lady Melleo. [How could you give away all the grilled fillets too?] ¡°¡­¡­..¡± [Madam can really be horrible. How could you hide something like that and pretend otherwise! If it was just the carps, then I wouldn¡¯t be this hurt. But fish from the sea, I really wanted to try at least once¡­.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Selene.¡± [¡­..] ¡°But I also haven¡¯t tried it.¡± [¡­¡­Madam.] ¡°I also grilled it tightly in case I lost a piece of the fish, and I resisted and resisted and didn¡¯t eat it to the end, you know.¡± To buy that from the seagull, I had torn off a decorative gem from my dress. I wouldn¡¯t ever wear that anyways. But even so, I didn¡¯t feel the slightest regret. ¡°¡­..I also know I look like a fool. And that I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. But I just wanted to ask her to take good care of our Haniel that¡­.¡± [Heeuung, Madaaam.] The two of us hugged one another again and squeezed out our tears. The other parents that had walked their children to school gave us strange looks, but my heart felt more refreshed. ¡°But you saw, right? Lady Melleo didn¡¯t do that with bad intentions.¡± [Then do you think Lady Melleo did well, Madam? I honestly don¡¯t really. She may have done so, but what fault does the princess have?] ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t do anything wrong. There¡¯s no need to say that.¡± No matter how good the intentions were, if the means were wrong, then it wasn¡¯t right. That was something I could still say confidently, and I probably wouldn¡¯t agree with her in the future either. ¡°But¡­.. I just thought that from today on, she at least wouldn¡¯t hate our Haniel anymore.¡± [¡­¡­] ¡°Now that I have that relief, I just thought that what¡¯s good is good for the rest.¡± With an embarrassed smile, I folded my sleeve. Selene¡¯s eyes turned a shade more sympathetic. There was no way I could fail to get pity, which I¡¯d even gotten from a tyrant, from a bird. [Sigh¡­. How did you live without the princess until now, Madam?] ¡°I know, right?¡± As I intentionally glossed over that with a smile and an idle remark, Selene also gave up on me. But there was no way that she would give up on everything. [Fine. Let¡¯s say this is how the matter of the grilled fillet, I mean, the princess ended. Now you have to go to the Emperor. What would he do if you didn¡¯t bring the princess?] ¡°¡­..Selene, I already told you I have a plan.¡± The clear drawback of planning in advance was that it never went according to plan. To accommodate for that, my plan was now back to being ¡®no plans.¡¯ [Again? What plan do you have this time?] ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Lady Melleo? Regardless of whether her way is wrong or not, she is an etiquette-centric noble to her very bones.¡± [And?] ¡°And our Haniel is a child that has decided she would never see her oldest brother forever and ever.¡± [¡­..So what do those two points have to do with anything?] As Selene¡¯s expression slowly but definitely showed how she was losing trust in me, I pulled her face close. The pros of not planning. Just when you think that you¡¯re definitely doomed, a rope of help is let down from unexpected places. ¡°Of course they have something to do with it. It has to.¡± Chapter 95 ¡°¡­.why are you empty-handed again?¡± Waiting out in the garden, Rashid narrowed his eyes as soon as he saw Catherine and her bare hands. There were no hints anywhere on her black dress that she had brought someone else. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to bring it properly this time?¡± ¡°¡­..Your Highness.¡± Catherine calmly called his name, her voice surprisingly composed. Her face, which did not shy away or pale feebly like yesterday, raised his interest. ¡°What excuse are you trying to use this time?¡± But Rashid had no plans of letting her go so easily. Unless, did this woman think that he would do something like that again? When she herself was a witch? When he thought about how she was painfully hiding her beloved pet because she was afraid of him, displeasure filled his chest. Some might say that a mere animal like that was nothing, but an obstinacy exceeding that of any battlefield was boiling within him. ¡°Go on, talk. There must be something you prepared.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Catherine, who do you think you are.¡± Even still, he really did want to hear what her excuse would be. He was a man who didn¡¯t know that his face had softened to some degree, just because Catherine was not seized by fear and had no tears dripping down her face. ¡°If you really need to see what I do first to be satisfied, then¡­..¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°¡­.What did you say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to show Your Highness personally.¡± Smile. Seeing her white and even teeth showing themselves, Rashid placed a hand on the handle of his sword. Dangerous things must be cut down. This was an action that stemmed from an instinct that he¡¯d built up over a long time, but it was himself this time that made him falter. ¡°¡­¡­This is just¡­..¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re not going to kill me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This woman was definitely dangerous. The more Catherine¡¯s smile brightened, the more Rashid¡¯s neck stiffened. Rattle. This strange emotion that started up his spine did not disappear easily, no matter how much he tried to stop it. ¡°I thought perhaps Your Highness wanted to see our Reina a lot more than I had assumed.¡± ¡°¡­.hoo.¡± ¡°So I, too, wanted to show her to you when she¡¯s having more fun. After all, if I forcibly bring the shy child, she¡¯d barely be able to show you her face. Rather than that, it¡¯ll be better for you to see her pretty form when she¡¯s playing outside very well.¡± ¡°Look here. The reason I told you to bring your daughter here was¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Please?¡± Hurry. Catherine came right in front of him, as if she was about to pull on his hand, and smiled at him. Under the sunlight, and at this close a distance, her purple eyes sparkled more than it had ever before. ¡°Oh¡­. As I thought, would you rather not go with just the two of us?¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For someone who¡¯d followed as soon as I¡¯d brought up belatedly calling the Princes, Rashid¡¯s eyes were full of suspicion. ¡®And why wouldn¡¯t they be.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t be able to make it any clearer that he was thinking, ¡®Now what is this woman planning to do now.¡¯ But I couldn¡¯t help that my heart was already excited, and laughter kept bubbling up to my lips. ¡°Your Highness, we won¡¯t go too far.¡± And I won¡¯t harm you. Seeing his face stiffen the moment I turned around, I bit back a smile. Come to think of it, I felt a little awkward smiling this naturally in front of this man. ¡®If Haniel was just a bit bigger, would it have been different?¡¯ He definitely wouldn¡¯t have been a kind brother to her, but it would¡¯ve been great if she knew he wasn¡¯t that trashy as a brother, that she would declare to never see him ¡®fo-eva¡¯, like that. ¡°¡­..¡± But if that had been the case, Haniel wouldn¡¯t have needed to escape home like that, and she wouldn¡¯t have met me. If I thought about it that way, I couldn¡¯t tell what was right, and my heart became a bit distraught. I wanted our Haniel to be more loved than anyone else, but I couldn¡¯t let her go. This two-faced heart of mine mixed in with my footsteps as we walked the perimeter of the lake. Chapter 96 ¡°Laugh or cry, just do one.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pointlessly confuse other people.¡± I¡¯d blanked out for only a short moment, but before I knew it, Rashid was standing next to me, his eyes were trained on my face. Though I was dealing with that characteristically displeased face of his, I wasn¡¯t very afraid. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Instead, it was like the back of my neck was ticklish for some reason. Now that I thought about it, Lania¡¯s standards were pretty high. After seeing this kind of man once, there was no way other men would stand out to her. Though of course, this probably had nothing to do with a widow like me. ¡°Yes, sir. Since you¡¯ve told me to smile, I will be smiling for a while then.¡± ¡°¡­..Ha!¡± His incredulous laughter was just like him as well. Until just a few days ago, I¡¯d been afraid that he¡¯d unsheathe his sword after such a laugh, but now I was pretty confident I could say ¡®That¡¯s so cool!¡¯ to whatever he brought out. ¡®This is a good thing that comes with befriending a predator.¡¯ It felt like I was a rabbit picking up powdered soybeans next to the tiger*, or something. It felt like I was a rabbit riding the coattails of the tiger or something. In reality, too, as Rashid approached, not a single ant appeared, even in the forest that lay past the road. Even those elk jerks that always lay in wait and pounced intentionally were nowhere to be found. It was only the law of nature that the wilder an animal you were, the flatter you bowed towards the sound of one who is stronger. ¡°¡­.Your Highness, are you uncomfortable or feeling tired anywhere?¡± You didn¡¯t have to go far for an example: me. ¡°¡­..are you asking that of me?¡± ¡°Of course. What would I do if Your Highness ends up like last time again?¡± ¡°By last time, you mean¡­..¡± ¡°If you fall into the water trying to save someone again, then I¡­¡± ¡°As if.¡± Rashid¡¯s adamant words were slightly cold. ¡°There is no way I will save just anyone.¡± ¡°¡­..Th-that makes sense.¡± When the Emperor said such words, it sounded plausible. Since I already knew what a rude person he usually was, that kind of declaration didn¡¯t feel that detestable. When I agreed enthusiastically with him, saying ¡®if that¡¯s the case, of course,¡¯ Rashid tacitly lifted his head. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°If I fall into the water again, then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Oh¡­..¡± It wasn¡¯t a good supposition, but since the Emperor asked, I needed to answer. ¡°Then I suppose I¡¯d be troubled.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­..Because I really don¡¯t have anything more to give you now.¡± Tucking my hair behind my ear, I smiled awkwardly. It was a bit embarrassing to be saying this after being smiley all along, but this wasn¡¯t something to hide anymore. ¡°My, my circumstances are such, and all that. Seeing how I¡¯d have nothing to pay Your Highness back with, even if I squeezed out everything I have¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh! Of course, I am very good at everything you order me to, and I¡¯m not very picky about anything¡­.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± His displeased tone of voice was even more hardened than usual. But even though he was coldly cutting me off, I didn¡¯t feel hurt. Hurt? More like¡­ ¡°Oh! I think they¡¯re over there!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± As soon as we were finally beginning to see the lake through its surrounding woods, I pointed my finger for him to look that way. Forgetting the momentary awkwardness completely, I moved towards the birds that had already gathered. ¡°Your Highness, over here! They¡¯re over here!¡± ¡°¡­¡­I know, so¡­.¡± ¡°Be very careful, okay?¡± If you trip, I don¡¯t have money for any compensation, you know. When I lowered my eyes with a crooked smile, Rashid quickly turned his head away. Regardless of if he did that or not, my eyes were already busy looking for Haniel as soon as I saw the new students. She looked as dejected as ever, at the last of the lasts in line, and the baby¡¯s white face that came in and out of view wasn¡¯t satisfying enough. [Madam! Over here!] ¡°¡­..Mm.¡± Selene, who had been watching the situation in advance from under the tree, nodded towards me. Seeing how her expression wasn¡¯t bad, things were apparently going according to plan. Well done. As I was just about to order her to go to Haniel now, Rashid first moved his eyebrows. ¡°That bird is the one you said was your daughter¡¯s friend¡­.¡± ¡°Quaaack!¡± Frightened the second she saw Rashid¡¯s shadow, Selene shook her head furiously and ran off like a crazy duck. What in the world was that? When his impatient eyebrows jerked, I gestured to my side, doing my best to pretend I hadn¡¯t seen anything. ¡°Your Highness, quickly. Over here.¡± ¡°The hills are the same everywhere, so why should I go all the way over¡­¡± After confirming the narrow space under the tree where two people would barely be able to stand in side-to-side, his previously crinkled eyebrows smoothed out. His solemn face lasting for only a moment, Rashid returned to being his unreadable, cold and elegant self, and he came to my side without any other words. ¡°¡­.If we¡¯re here to see your daughter, then why not go to the lake and¡­¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve already mentioned, it¡¯s because she¡¯s quite shy.¡± ¡°Even though she¡¯s a bird.¡± ¡°¡­..Reina.¡± Reina, Reina, Reina, until he memorized it. When I opened my resolute lips to whisper the name consecutively, Rashid¡¯s adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down lengthily. Our distance was closer than you¡¯d think, and under the shadow that was cast over his head, his eyes had darkened. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say that¡¯s Reina, now where is it.¡± ¡°Do you see her? Waay over there, you might not be able to see clearly but¡­.¡± I lifted my heels, looking on regrettably at Haniel, who was still wiggling by the entrance of the lake. If she discovered her brother right now, that would be a problem; but not being able to see her like this was just as problematic. Just as I was about to direct him more specifically to Haniel¡¯s location, Rashid quietly raised his eyes. ¡°Are you talking about that thing at the very end, the only one contorted, not even able to lift its head?¡± ¡°¡­..hm.¡± Be it selfies or portraits, if they are too realistic, they can be hurtful. But perhaps because a brother was still a brother, it was surprising that he¡¯d found Haniel accurately in one try. ¡°But what is your daughter doing over there?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is it ill? From the looks of it stumbling around like that, it would barely last more than a few days.¡± Watching as Haniel remained unmoving, he shortly clicked his tongue. Chapter 97 That¡¯s not it, it¡¯s because she¡¯s disheartened. I could only look down at the tip of Rashid¡¯s shoes. If he hadn¡¯t kicked away Lady Melleo with those oh-so-important feet of his, then there was no way our Haniel wouldn¡¯t be unable to spread out her wings like she was doing now. ¡°But what have those things gathered like that for.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± He wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine that it would be a class for a School of Etiquette; as soon as he saw the swarm of babies, he crossed his arms in front of his chest as if to say it was a sight to see. Not only were hints of disapproval on his handsome face, he was even beginning to look quite bored. ¡°Bring her here quickly. Don¡¯t they come if you whistle at them or something?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s only when you¡¯re calling normal swans.¡± ¡°And they¡¯re not normal swans?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ohh, right. You said she was your precious daughter, or something.¡± Look at him being all sarcastic. Though I knew he was talking especially spitefully like that on purpose, I laughed emotionlessly. I mean, I could laugh naturally just by looking at Haniel¡¯s face, so. Though his stare prickled on my cheeks, I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off of her. ¡®Baby! Mommy¡¯s here!¡¯ I wanted to go out and shout that even now, but today¡¯s goal was something else. The person, no, the goose, that I had to meet first, before Haniel. The Teacher that stood above God, Lady Melleo, was gradually coming our way. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± Of course, she wasn¡¯t coming because she had discovered me and this man behind the tree. I already knew that after she finished teaching the older students, she came to this spot around this time every day to watch the new students. The reason Selene had been watching her movements lay here as well. In the meantime, Rashid¡¯s cold eyes were still on Haniel, who was lagging behind on her own. ¡°The more I look at her, your daughter doesn¡¯t seem normal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. She usually acts very adorably. When she¡¯s happy, she comes and rubs her cheek on you first, and sometimes she pecks you like this with her beak, and she rolls her webbed feet around, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Just like this. When I lifted up my skirt slightly and rolled my feet twice to show him, Rashid cracked his neck noisily. But as I had to watch Rashid and Lady Melleo in both directions, I didn¡¯t have the time to pay attention to what he was doing. As soon as I saw that Lady Melleo had already reached the bottom of the hill, I quickly moved in front of Rashid¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Because I thought you might not believe what I said. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°That your daughter acts adorably?¡± His hand still on the back of his neck, Rashid huffed out a forced laughter. To this man, it wasn¡¯t important whether that was the truth or not¡ªthe only important thing to him was that there was a woman who refuted his words. ¡°She looks like she¡¯ll die within today, though.¡± ¡°Okay siirrrrrr!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going to. How could you say something like that!¡± Rashid¡¯s throat dipped longer than it had right before this. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­..are you afraid?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re afraid that I might be right.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± His pinkish eyes that bore down on me narrowed, as if he found this quite interesting. I also had my head held up stiffly, but in that short moment, I first checked subtly to see if he would be bringing out his sword into his hand. ¡°¡­..That thing can really act like what you just described?¡± Fortunately, Rashid¡¯s eyes had returned to Haniel, who was scrunched up into a ball. She really was a small child, so small that she might look like a ball of cotton at a glance. ¡°Yes, of course. Very much so. You can even bet me on this.¡± ¡°Bet?¡± The corners of his lips bent up crookedly. Though it wasn¡¯t to the point of slashing and cutting, he was a man who had never even imagined losing to anything. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had nothing to bet on anymore?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­.¡± ¡°Fine. We can decide on that kind of thing slowly.¡± From the way he dipped his chin down slightly, I could see an overflowing haughty elegance exceeding that of Lady Melleo. But oh well. Like he¡¯d said, I had nothing to give, and also nothing to lose. ¡°Though I would like to do so as well, it looks like it¡¯ll be too difficult right now.¡± ¡°¡­..why?¡± ¡°Our Reina is a very sensitive child. She doesn¡¯t do that to just anyone, and she¡¯s very shy. So we would need to act very delicately, too.¡± ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡± His ridicule spread out as calmly as the midday¡¯s lake. Some people might have been mesmerized by his smile, but I already had another existence to be mesmerized by. Lady Melleo had already crossed the midway point of this hill by now. ¡°Of course, we will need to practice.¡± ¡°¡­¡­do what?¡± ¡°Practice. If you practice how to treat a child you first meet beforehand, then our pri- Reina will undoubtedly open her heart to you.¡± Chapter 98 ¡°¡­..why should I¡­..¡± ¡°Of course! Whether you decide to have a mere bird open her heart up to you or not, Your Highness just needs to win the bet.¡± As I saw the look on his face that went beyond reluctance and demanded patience, I made the goal of our bet clear. When Rashid¡¯s stiff expression finally softened, I reached out with both hands. ¡°Now, it isn¡¯t a difficult task.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Right before his hand touched my outstretched hands, though he seemed like he was about to grab my hands, he stopped. When he suddenly touched his sheath with his other hand, I was momentarily flustered, but I didn¡¯t show it. Fortunately, his red eyes came back to mine as if returning to its rightful place. ¡°Yes. And next, you do this¡­.¡± I began rolling my hands fumbling for empty air into waves. I smiled, knowing that though I knew he would never follow me, he would also never back down. ¡°If that child feels scared, she wouldn¡¯t even come over here. You only need to lower her guard. Would you be alright if we end this without confirming who would win? ¡°¡­¡­¡± This wouldn¡¯t be enough for a blind and deaf man like him, huh. While I was at it, I swept my fingertips up against my cheek pointedly. ¡°¡­..Like this. Easy, right?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Now, please follow along with Miss Sullivan¡¯s demonstration. Since he was staring intently at me, he did seem to be listening to me, but being at the end of such a blatant stare was also a bit embarrassing. Though I told him calmly a few times, his eyes were still only fixed on my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t press, but¡­. Just ghost your hand over, like this¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hm, would this be too hard for Your Highness?¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡± His sudden anger was no surprise to me now. As if I¡¯d been waiting, I spread my arm out gracefully and greeted the arrogant guest who came up the hill. ¡°Now, shall we try that for real?¡± *** ¡®¡­.Is this some kind of ceremony?¡¯ A definite line appeared between Rashid¡¯s eyebrows, who had been wondering how far this witch would go. Though all she had done was touch her own cheek, his cheek stung as if she had really chanted a spell on him. ¡°¡­¡­¡± He had already noticed that she was vaguely trying to provoke him. But even if she did, she had nothing to lose. Even without Peyton¡¯s reports, if it had anything to do with this woman, her situations were glaringly obvious. Really, nothing more than a shell of a ¡®lazily brought in¡¯ Duchess. Though she was suspicious beyond just being strange, and her identity was still covered in secrets, she was nothing more and nothing less than that. That was why she¡¯d been caught by him with nary a penny and doing something as ridiculous as this now. Except for the fact that her obvious taunting laughs really weren¡¯t funny, he had nothing to lose. Whatever she did, whatever gestures she made, and¡­. whatever expression she made. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough¡­..¡± ¡°Quickly. Please?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It seemed he was touching his sword many times today. Rashid looked at Catherine, standing there with her hands on her knees and self-deprecation mixed into her smile. The amount of tension he was putting into the corners of his lips felt unfamiliar, even to him.* *T/N: HE¡¯S TRYING NOT TO SMILE HAHAHA ¡°Hoooo.¡± Just when he was thinking he¡¯d be able to bear it like this, the problem became more than just the person. What in the world is that. Behind Catherine¡¯s skirt, a random goose was backing away. ¡°¡­..That thing.¡± Didn¡¯t it just make eye contact with me. Unless his mind had turned strange because he¡¯d been around the witch for too long¡ªno. That was the only explanation. Because this was the first time he had ever even heard of a goose stepping back from something. ¡°Catherine, that thing just clearly¡­.¡± ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Like this. Glancing sideways at the goose, Catherine first nodded her head like she was extending her courtesy to it. As expected of a witch, the way she slightly bent her knees was as graceful as a picture and just as captivating. ¡°¡­..¡± Then, surprisingly, the awkwardly frozen goose approached him. To think there wasn¡¯t a single normal bird at this nuisance of a lake. He didn¡¯t like the way it waddled closer to him while limping on one leg. ¡®If this is how you live, then at least raise a proper animal or something.¡¯ Pressing a bent finger above his eyebrow, Rashid swallowed a deep sigh. Even now, the lady may not be talking with her mouth, but she was gesturing towards the goose with her two hands held together humbly, to the point of being almost subservient. That too made him upset. ¡°That¡¯s going a bit too far. If anything, I can rather get a new¡­.¡± ¡°Your. Highness.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± As clearly as she spoke, the movements of her bright red lips cutting up her words became more distinct. Closing his eyes shut, Rashid supported his temples. When he reopened his eyes, the goose was bowed down at his ankle. ¡°¡­..it¡¯s dea¡ª¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Please, just please! Chapter 99 When she had gathered her two hands towards the goose like that, he hadn¡¯t wanted to see it; but when she did the same towards him, it didn¡¯t feel that bad. No, he would say it felt rather good, actually, considering how he didn¡¯t think of kicking the goose that was shoving its head onto the ground in front of him. ¡°¡­..¡± Rashid squeezed his hand into a fist before he slowly reached out. As soon as his middle finger touched the forehead, or wherever this area, that he estimated to be approximately the forehead was, the goose lowered its body even more. ¡°¡­..Isn¡¯t this thing de¡ª¡± ¡°As, as expected of Your Highness!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Catherine approached him with a very touched expression, covering her mouth. Almost about to say that he didn¡¯t need that kind of praise, he slowly retrieved his hand. ¡°Very well done, sir! My word, to think His Highness personally accepted the greeting. Which knight in the entire Empire has dared to have such honor bestowed upon him!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Taking out a handkerchief, Rashid stared at Catherine wordlessly. He¡¯d mainly seen this kind of expression from the sisters or the mothers of knights that had received an Emperor¡¯s medal. ¡°This is nothing.¡± ¡°Nothing, you say. This is a very enormous event. If you had done that to me, I would be so happy that I wouldn¡¯t even be able to sleep!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Her tone was so clear and concise that she seemed to be reading from a book, and her voice rang out brightly. If not for the fact that she was looking at the goose instead of him while saying such words, it was a voice that wouldn¡¯t be too bad to keep listening to. ¡°Your Highness, please take a look at this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Why should I have to look at a lousy goose like that raising its body, he was about to retort firmly, but Rashid slowly withdrew his hand instead. To be able to say something like that now, the hand that had touched the goose¡¯s forehead was already his. ¡°¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s right, I did that. Until the goose, twisting and turning to open up its wings in various ways, disappeared from view, Rashid scrutinized his own hand. He thought that he would have nothing more to see if he lifted his head now, but he realized he was wrong as soon as he raised his head. ¡°Your Highness, you did very well.¡± Seeming to find this situation good, Catherine went as far as to raise her shoulders as she smiled at him brightly as a greeting. With the hand that he¡¯d lowered slowly, Rashid fiddled with his sword. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done enough.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Your Highness has done everything! Your Highness was perfect!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Had I given her that much to fear. For the first time, Rashid looked back on what he¡¯d done to her before.* *T/N: OOH YES CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT E/N: ???? It didn¡¯t seem like she was acting when she rejoiced in something as small as this. Perhaps that was why his chest tightened achingly all the more. ¡°Catherine.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my turn now, right?¡± ¡°¡­.where are you going?¡± Without meaning to, he grabbed her clothes as she began turning to go behind the tree. Once he¡¯d grabbed it, he did a small double take, but even then he did not want to let go. ¡°Oh¡­.. Trust me!¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not running away. I really won¡¯t run away.¡± Maybe because she thought he was suspicious of her, Catherine shook her head repeatedly. And then she pushed him back inside the shade of the tree. To be more accurate, instead of pushing with her hands, she made him step back with a light step toward him. ¡°Just watch from here. To see if what I say is right.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It has to be from here, okay?¡± With a passing smile, Catherine lifted her skirts up slightly and went down the hill. That witch, not again! Her walking speed quickened; in case she might jump into the lake like last time, Rashid¡¯s face was engulfed in tension. ¡°Cathe¡ª¡± ¡°Baabbyyyyy! Mommy¡¯s here!¡± But it was different this time. Instead of crying and yelling, she reached her hands out with a wide, a very wide smile. Instead of running into the water, the way Catherine¡¯s knees bent onto the grass was as light as air. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And more than anything, the baby swan that resembled a cotton ball no longer sank miserably. The way it hastily ran as soon as it saw her, was as different as if it had been brought back from the dead. Flapping its white wings, the baby swan approached Catherine and snuggled right into her skirts, and Catherine carefully lifted it up. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mommy.¡± Though it was a whispering voice from afar, he felt like he knew what she was saying. As she smiled with a smile so joyful that it could not even be compared to the smiles she¡¯d shown him until now, she placed her cheek onto the baby swan¡¯s cheek, and the baby swan rubbed its head on the cheek furiously as well. With its beak, it pecked at the fingers, and rolled its clawed feet on top of the palms. And like that, Catherine¡¯s clear laughter rang out even to the hill once again. ¡°¡­..¡± Even without the shade from the tree, his eyes darkened. Instead of grasping his sword, he raised his hand onto the surface of his chest. Since there were more than just a few things that had changed from last time they¡¯d been here, he¡¯d wondered how he would find it all, but in reality, the most changes had occurred inside of him, not elsewhere. ¡®¡­.I told you. I was right, wasn¡¯t I?¡¯ Her cheek still on the swan¡¯s cheek, the purple eyes that brushed past him drew a long track. Dropping his head languidly, both of Rashid¡¯s hands headed towards the back of his neck. *** Chapter 100 [Mommy, wook at dis. Teacher Merong gabe me.] ¡°Really? Teacher Melleo gave this to our princess?¡± [Yesh. Only Haniel.] When I clasped my hands together and acted utterly surprised, Haniel lowered her eyes primly. She stretched out her wing with the dried filefish Lady Melleo had given her in a manner that was quite different from this morning. [It¡¯sh only Haniel! Eveyone else hab someshing elsh. Someshing bwack. Only Haniel hab dis one!] ¡°Ohh, so you¡¯re saying the other friends in your class all got carp fish jerky, but only our princess got this most delicious dried filefish?¡±* [¡­Ye-esh.] When even professional translator Selene chimed in enthusiastically, Haniel¡¯s shoulders swelled. Just this morning, she had been in tears because she hadn¡¯t wanted to go to school, but something must have happened during class for her to be this energetic now, starting with the way she walked. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And I knew more than anyone else what had happened. My chin propped up on the palm of my hand, I rolled my fingers on top of my lips, close to bursting with laughter. ¡°Teacher Melleo even praised you in front of your friends, right? That Haniel did well?¡± [Yesh. Haniel isha lady.] She must¡¯ve been waiting so long to say this¡ªHaniel spun her tail around and around. As if she was trying to find the cause of this herself, the three-year-old¡¯s actions became more careful. [Hmm¡­. I wonduh why?] ¡°¡­¡­¡± You sly swan, fishing for compliments! Really, when she was acting coy with an expression that was not displeased like this, she was a carbon copy of her brother. Now that I look back, I saw nothing of Rashid on top of that hill afterwards. When I¡¯d looked at him as soon as I hugged Haniel, he was definitely under the tree, but when I¡¯d gone back up in time with the day-end assembly, he had disappeared without a trace. ¡®I really can¡¯t understand him at all.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d go looking for him again, and he wasn¡¯t a man you could just look for as you¡¯d like. And like that, I was on the way home with Haniel after she was done with the assembly, when¡­ [Teacher Merong said I did well!] ¡°Really?¡± [Mm. She said I just hab to swim agin!] Having been praised by Lady Melleo for the first time in her life, Haniel didn¡¯t close her mouth all the way back home. Maybe because she was amazed, at times she would shake her head rapidly or stop on her way, and checked her dried filefish multiple times. [Mommy, dis one only Haniel!] ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. She only gave this to Haniel.¡± Perhaps it was fortunate that Rashid had disappeared, since I was so busy just listening to Haniel boasting like this. I did feel a little, just a teeny tiny bit disappointed, but that was probably because I wasn¡¯t able to show Haniel acting cute. Right. What more could there be. *T/N: [insert lenny face here] [Madam, when I saw Lady Melleo earlier, her shoulders were held as high as the sky. Did you know the wings and legs she bandaged up for the past few days because ¡®it hurt¡¯ healed completely just like that?!] ¡°¡­.I knew she would do that.¡± Selene, who¡¯d kept by Haniel¡¯s side in my stead during the day-end assembly, grabbed at her belly like she found something hilarious. [Anyways, she was preening like that as if His Highness bestowed some medal to her or something. And then she started complimenting our princess in front of the whole student body so much that I was feeling embarrassed, you know.] ¡°Really? What a shame. I should¡¯ve gone and listened, too.¡± What have I missed out on thanks to an ill-mannered man who just up and disappeared? ¡°What did she say? Did she say something about her extraordinary grace and how unique she is?¡± [¡­..What. Did you hear it all yourself?] ¡°Goodness gracious. What¡¯s gotten into this gran- this teacher.¡± After acting all firm like that, to think she would go around being so obvious. Though I couldn¡¯t tell whether she was a true teacher or a true noble, it was fortunate that she was feeling better. Thanks to that, Haniel had been reenergized, so she wouldn¡¯t be sniffling because she didn¡¯t want to go to school anymore. [Mommy, what¡¯s wong?] ¡°¡­..¡± And if the other problem solved itself nicely, too, that would be even better. ¡°Haniel, Teacher Melleo made you feel very happy today, right? She gave you lots and lots of compliments?¡± [Yesh!] ¡°That¡¯s because our Haniel really is a lady, but also¡­..¡± I brought Haniel into my arms again as she licked at a speck of the dried filefish. This poor thing. Who would think that she was a princess brought up in a palace! She looked so pitiful, the way she couldn¡¯t bring herself to take huge bites because it was too dear for her, instead ripping it into thread-like strips as she ate it. [Alsho?] ¡°Oh, there¡¯s also the fact that Haniel¡¯s oldest brother put in a good word for you, too.¡± [¡­..mueh?] If in Korea, we had a side character spewing out orange juice,* in Rohann we had a baby swan spitting out dried filefish. *T/N: One of the commonly used memes in Korea is a scene from a Korean soap opera where, upon hearing shocking news, this one character spews out orange juice. (Example provided below, lol) Chapter 101 [B, bwother did? Why did bwother?] ¡°Haniel.¡± Our baby princess, the drama queen, was overtaken by panic once more. But perhaps because she knew instinctively that this was not a bad thing, she didn¡¯t burst into tears. [Bwother didn¡¯t go yet? Why ish he hea?] ¡°Haniel, would you like your brother to go back?] [Ye-esh! Hea ish mommy and Haniel¡¯s house. Ish Haniel¡¯s house foweva.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, maybe even the sudden increase of anxiousness was also instinctual; she was soon sullen and shook her head. Even though it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d told her to go meet him right this moment, she tucked in her wings and burrowed into my arms. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. This is Haniel and mommy¡¯s house.¡± [Then, then whyy? Why bwother come?] Haniel¡¯s little white face popped up above my skirts. [He didn¡¯t come to take Haniel away?] ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nothing like that.¡± Not at this moment. Not for now, at least. In actuality, it could be that I was the one more anxious than this child. So while this hand was patting Haniel comfortingly, nervous as she was, I might be the one wanting to be pat in comfort. Though of course, I wouldn¡¯t have anyone to pat me like this anyways. [¡­..Then why did big bwother go talk to Teacher Merong?] ¡°I wonder. Why did he do that?¡± Acting oblivious on purpose, I drew out the time thoughtfully. Seeing the way Haniel¡¯s squirming beak was pecking me in between my fingers, she might have had an idea of her own. ¡°But mommy thinks that it wasn¡¯t because he doesn¡¯t like you, Haniel.¡± [Big, big bwother doeshn¡¯t?] ¡°Yes.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that it was because he liked her, but I tried to explain as closely as I could to the truth while I gently scratched the back of Haniel¡¯s neck. ¡°Who would come all the way to the school to see a child they didn¡¯t like?¡± [But¡­. Big bwother ish scawy?] ¡°And your scary brother talked so nicely, too. He didn¡¯t take out his sword, he didn¡¯t tell his doggy to bite, and he said ¡®Please take care of our Haniel in the future¡¯ to Lady Melleo. That¡¯s what he said.¡± [¡­¡­] As I thought, I¡¯d gone too far. Haniel¡¯s red eyes were challenging as she showed great distrust in her mom for the first time. But even those eyes were so similar to that man¡¯s eyes that I could have almost mistaken myself for having him in my arms, not her. ¡°Or do you want to try meeting your oldest brother, Haniel?¡± [B-bwother? Emperow bwother?] ¡°Mm. You can go with mommy and see if he really doesn¡¯t like Haniel or not.¡± My soft coaxing voice was as tempting as a witch¡¯s. At my attempt to completely deceive a child like this, Selene clucked her tongue as if to say that was an appalling thing to do. ¡®Oi, if you¡¯re not going to help, then leave.¡¯ I slid out my foot to push her away and went back to twinkling my eyes as innocently as I could. Still seemingly conflicted, Haniel would rub her beak or spin around in place. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, you don¡¯t have to. Mommy will meet Haniel¡¯s brother and tell him that he can¡¯t see you yet.¡± [¡­.Mommy will? Only mommy?] When I¡¯d asked her to go with me, she¡¯d only been hesitant, but as soon as I said I¡¯d go by myself, Haniel was trembling in horror. What was bothering our princess now, I wonder. I tried to soothe her down once more, but it was impossible for me to understand the capricious heart of a three-year-old baby. ¡°If you meet your oldest brother, then you¡¯ll know everything.¡± [Evwything?] ¡°Of course, not everything. But gradually.¡± Even when we reached the front of our house, Haniel¡¯s indecisive pondering did not end. She would smile when she saw the ends of the ribbon I¡¯d tied around her, then sniff at the dried filefish Lady Melleo had given her; but when she looked at the palace across the lake, she faltered like she was ill. ¡®But this isn¡¯t something I can pressure her into with forceforcefully.¡¯ While waiting for the baby princess to make a decision, seated in front of the door, the sun was now already tilting towards the edge of the west. But if it meant Haniel would make up her mind, I was resolved to wait for her all night long. What of it. All I had left over was time and affection anyways. [Mommyy.] ¡°Yes, yes. Have you thought about it?¡± I brought my ear down towards Haniel¡¯s beak so that it wasn¡¯t obvious how long I¡¯d waited. I automatically began smiling at her whispering voice before I stopped momentarily. ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Mommy?] ¡°Go inside first. Hurry.¡± Perhaps surprised by my firmness, Haniel didn¡¯t even pester me to let her stay with me. The poor thing, how much she must have walked on eggshells back in the palace to not be able to be stubborn. I felt sympathetic for that side of her as well, but right now safety came first. ¡®I¡¯m sure I heard a sound.¡¯ While I had Haniel in my arms, I noticed a rustling behind the villa. I could count on one hand the number of possible guests who¡¯d come here, but all of them were not welcome. Lania and Rebecca, whoever it was between the two, they had nothing to do but be violent. ¡°Quick. Hurry on inside.¡± Chapter 102 First, I opened the door and let Haniel and Selene in. It was quiet now, like nothing had happened, but I needed to be all the more careful because of that. In order to confirm that there was no one around, I approached the forest that was in proximity with the villa. ¡°Is anybody there?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was I wrong? True¡ªif it was Lania and Rebecca, that pair of sisters could rush towards me and tear the door down right this moment, and then some. There was no way those people who forced down their desire to end me multiple times a day would be hiding like this. ¡°¡­..You really have no fear.¡± ¡°Oh- oh my gosh!¡± As soon as I let myself feel relieved that there was nobody here, all the strength left my knees at the shadow that popped up without warning behind me. And what was this! I wasn¡¯t sure if it was fortunate or unfortunate, but thanks to a hand stretching out and supporting my body, I didn¡¯t collapse onto the ground pathetically. ¡°To think you¡¯d come all the way out here alone.¡± ¡°Your, Your Highness!¡± Wouldn¡¯t this be closer to unfortunate, I wonder? Startled by the hand supporting my back, I drew back. Just think of what happened to me when this happened last time! Inspecting his reaction, I looked up at him, but Rashid didn¡¯t particularly seem like he wanted to put me in debt. ¡°¡­..Why do you, to me¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Not that this meant I knew what he was thinking, however. What was he trying to say, staring at me so intently. Don¡¯t tell me¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t be doing this because I left first earlier, right? I gingerly tucked my hair behind my ear and tried smiling like I didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°I didn¡¯t run away. I looked for you but you weren¡¯t there, so I just went out first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that all you always have to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Then what am I supposed to say. Up until now with this man, it had been a repetition of being helped by him and then running away. Because of that, it was just habitual for an excuse to pop out of my mouth the moment I saw his face. Narrowing one eye fiercely, he shook his head multiple times. ¡°It, it¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Since you wouldn¡¯t be able to do as you like just because you want to leave.¡± It was great that he was saying what I wanted to say for me, but hearing him say that in a lowered voice made me feel like my whole body was wound up in coils. Even without him saying as much, I already knew my place as one who couldn¡¯t escape. Fortunately, he only looked down at me without saying anything else. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The eyes that had been filled with vexed dissatisfaction and suspicion when I was luring him onto the hill were now as bright as the setting sun. Reminded of Haniel¡¯s contemplating eyes that I¡¯d seen up until a moment ago, I clapped my hands together loudly without meaning to. ¡°Oh right! I have some good news!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°It seems like my baby is feeling better! I think I can really bring her to the royal villa this time!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I¡¯d thought that he might be sarcastic and scoff, saying that it wasn¡¯t something to make a fuss about, but Rashid was silent. Was he like that because he was so incredulous? He didn¡¯t know how much I¡¯d clung to that one child to persuade her up until now! I pounded at my stiff shoulders that I¡¯d gotten from resting my chin on my hand for a long time in front of Haniel. ¡°It was really, really difficult to get her to come along. This may not seem like much, but swans are very cautious, you know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Um¡­.. I¡¯m glad you know. Baby swans are especially more fearful, and our baby is more like that so I was very worried, but the child so admirably made up her mind and said she¡¯d go¡­.¡± Hm? Rashid¡¯s hand, which was slowly approaching me, came to a sudden stop in front of my face. Just like that moment on top of the hill when he had hesitated in front of my outstretched hand, I forcefully avoided this feeling of almost-but-not-actually touching. Because after all, this was a feeling that would soon disappear. ¡°Ah¡­¡­ where was I again.¡± ¡°Made up her mind.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Anyways, this child really did make up her mind firmly. I didn¡¯t even have any expectations, but¡­¡­. oh.¡± But this time, the feeling reached my cheek directly. The careful brush of his hand from beneath the leather glove was definitely not an illusion. ¡°¡­..Y-Your Highness!¡± Was this man touching my cheek right now? I couldn¡¯t move an inch, like I¡¯d been hypnotized. Even though he wasn¡¯t pressing hard, or pinching me at all. That was why it felt even less real. It seemed like he was remembering and following the demonstration from the hill exactly, his touch impossibly attentive. ¡°Was this the way you told me.¡± But what felt most out of touch with reality was the man I was standing face-to-face with now. ¡°¡­..¡± Powerful yet aimless eyes only returned to their original forms after deeply furrowing his brows. Only then did the hand that had touched my cheek come down, but the burning heat remained and even heated my untouched lips. ¡°Ohh, ye-es. Th-that¡¯s how.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Good, good job.¡± Though I had no clue what was going through Rashid¡¯s mind that he couldn¡¯t do it when I asked him to and only did it now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reproach him. I mean, I hadn¡¯t known that he would be this serious, nor that he would be this good at it after all. Chapter 103 ¡°But I¡¯m the one who won the bet from before! Though Your Highness wouldn¡¯t know, since you didn¡¯t watch until the end.¡± ¡°No. I saw.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡± I became embarrassed once again at how easily Rashid agreed with me. Since I¡¯d had nothing to say in this situation, I¡¯d brought up the bet we¡¯d made earlier, but I could no longer find the same short-tempered competitive nature in him like before. ¡°I, I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, that¡¯s fortunate. If I had lost, I really wouldn¡¯t have had anything to give you. Of course, there¡¯s the question of what someone like Your Highness could even want from someone like me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you think.¡± Strands of his silver hair scattered between his gloved fingers. As he bit and pulled off the very glove that had touched my cheek, the temperature rose up amidst the middle of winter as if it was hot. ¡°I know what I want.¡± *** ¡°¡­Are you sure? You¡¯re certain you saw properly?¡± ¡°I told you I did.¡± Standing next to Lania, Rebecca shook out her wet skirt. Since they had overturned all the roads heading towards the separated villa, the only way to get there now was to use a small ferry boat and sneak in that way. ¡°As much as it¡¯s great to be careful, what is this. And I got this fitted not too long ago, too!¡± ¡°You were only going to wear it once and throw it away, so stop exaggerating.¡± Folding her fan, Lania struck Rebecca¡¯s wrist lightly while she whined. As a noble, she had a nature of disliking frivolous things, but more than anything she couldn¡¯t stand the fact that someone was talking back to her. ¡°Rebecca, if you can¡¯t even earn your keep this way, then let me know anytime. I guess you don¡¯t want your fianc¨¦ to be back?¡± ¡°H-hey now, why would you say that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Rendered subservient soon enough, Rebecca forced the corners of her lips to rise as she gave a soft laugh next to Lania. Though she knew she was being obsequious, her sister Lania was not one to say empty promises. Starting from their stepmother Catherine, she wasn¡¯t one to bat an eye even when placing curses on those who opposed her; chasing away a younger sister¡¯s fianc¨¦ would be nothing. No. It could even be considered fortunate if she chased him away graciously. ¡°Anyways, I kept an eye on her but there was nothing notable.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yeah. She just went around the lake a couple times and that was it.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t meeting with anyone? She didn¡¯t go near, say, His Highness or towards the Winter Palace or¡­.¡± ¡°His Highness? How would a woman like her dare meet His Highness?¡± Rebecca cut off her sister¡¯s words with a snort, but this one time Lania didn¡¯t feel particularly upset. But her younger sister Rebecca wasn¡¯t that trustworthy a person for Lania to believe everything she said. She was lazy, extravagant, and dishonest to boot. Since she was the only other human apart from Ronin who knew about the matter of the lake, she had pushed her into it, but she was still doubtful if she really had been keeping watch properly. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. I really didn¡¯t take my eyes off her, just like you told me to!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Rebecca may be bad at reading the room, but even she knew what the meaning behind her sister¡¯s sharp gaze was. ¡°As soon as the sun set, she went and stayed hidden behind the villa! She didn¡¯t come out until the end in case she got discovered.¡± She appealed how unfair she felt without prompting. If she hadn¡¯t been telling the truth, she was the type to avoid her sister¡¯s eyes or get angry instead, but she must have been considerably frustrated herself. ¡°She didn¡¯t particularly talk to anyone secretly, and there was no-one frequenting the place either.¡± ¡°I heard His Highness called that into the royal villa recently.¡± ¡°But you know a lot of different nobles went to the Winter Palace. Oh, and you went, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What Rebecca said was only half-true. As the time His Highness spent here grew longer, there weren¡¯t any nobles that were not trying to get his notice by visiting the royal villa by stream. Lania as a lady was not excluded from that mix, but there was no-one who actually went into those doors. ¡°Then you can ask Viscount Dion, since he¡¯s the manager of the royal villa.¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t tried?¡± Lania flapped her fan once more and bit her lip, gnawing. The Viscount had often visited the Duchy and built up their acquaintanceship until not so long ago, but once His Highness had come he didn¡¯t leave the house, with not even a word of communication. For him to be keeping away from her to wash himself clean, he himself would know of his master¡¯s incredible characteristics. ¡°¡­what is someone like him thinking.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Nothing for you to worry about, so go ahead and leave me.¡± After coldly cutting her off, she waved a hand at her sister to have her leave. Though she didn¡¯t much like the way she did things, it was true that she only had Rebecca to use in immediate situations like this. She was, after all, a child with clear desires. More than those who insidiously racked their brains to tear into this and that for themselves, people who may be fools but had steadfast intentions were best for these kinds of chores. If they wanted money, she could shower them with it, and if they wanted gems she just needed to throw some at them. But only if they did not trick herself. ¡°Is that really everything?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lania looked towards the excessively wet skirts of Rebecca¡¯s dress. Though she was trying not to miss out on any flustered expressions, Rebecca was the one who appeared to take offense, her face crumpling. ¡°I told you it is. I didn¡¯t even see anything human-like. And there were only a bunch of those ducks or geese or whatever those are when I was coming back out. And would those things even dare to look at me?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Think about it. If I had caught someone, then I would¡¯ve run straight to you and tell you, I caught someone, so buy me something!¡± ¡°¡­..that you would do, but.¡± ¡°I was super super careful and quiet until I came out, you know. I couldn¡¯t even straighten my back in case that wench Catherine saw me, so stop. And anyhow, why am I so wet!¡± Rebecca trembled at the droplets of water that were still trickling down onto the floor. I better hurry and go change into new clothes! Poised to go outside, the lady threw one last word impudently to her sister still resting against the chair. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to be so bothered about anymore, sister! How can that thing that only brings around a baby bird even be your competition?¡± *** Chapter 104 Peyton opened the door and entered the room, bowing towards Rashid. Rashid was by the window as expected, and when he lowered his eyes, Peyton flinched in surprise and expressed concern. ¡°Has something happened in the past few days?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Rashid raised one hand to tell him not to be annoying about it. It meant that questions were no longer allowed, so while he followed that command, Peyton still observed his eldest brother from time to time. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A jawline so sharp it could practically cut you, and a disciplined, powerful conduct. This flawless appearance was indeed the eldest brother and this empire¡¯s Emperor he¡¯d come to know over tens of years, but the red eyes that did not seem to belong to a human did not look the same as before. Those were the very eyes that once had the notorious reputation of their color deepening according to the amount of blood he had cut down. Of course, there was no way that such eyes could change to look human at once, but maybe because he¡¯d been gone for a few days that the change looked all the more clear. Or perhaps he was only feeling now, what had gradually become that way from before. ¡°Did you bring it?¡± ¡°Oh¡­. Yes. Of course.¡± At Rashid¡¯s indifferent words, Peyton immediately remembered his command. As it was, Peyton was on his way back from the capital in deference to that command. ¡°He is with Tenon right now. He has been the entire time while coming here, so he¡¯s probably having a hard time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Peyton was about to say ¡®he is being taken care of by Tenon¡¯, but since that didn¡¯t feel quite right, he corrected himself to only say that they were together. No matter how much he thought about it, that thing was much too far from the concept of being able to be taken care of. His limit was that he only listened to what his master Rashid said. ¡°And what of Kirel.¡± ¡°Second Eldest Brother is still busy taking care of state affairs. And he is also following Haniel¡¯s whereabouts in his own way using secret channels of insider information. ¡°The Grand Duchess must be resenting me much.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Peyton, who showed many signs of having already suffered from his sister-in-law, could only smile awkwardly. Kirel¡¯s wife, who also happened to be a princess of their neighboring country Billard, was originally supposed to be the partner to Rashid as the emperor, according to the peace treaty that ended the war. But using the national funeral as an excuse, Rashid repeatedly refused the marriage, until they conferred Kirel into the position of Grand Duke and had him wed instead. Though that was the case, even if it was the Grand Duke¡¯s wedding, the ceremony was as simple as much as they were still in national mourning. Defeated nation as they may be, she was still the princess of a country, and this was something she could most definitely feel upset about. From exactly that point on, she did not stop holding small complaints about the Emperor, and took out her anger by seizing her husband the Grand Duke instead. Just what does the Emperor even do, and why does he only make you do all the work. She usually ended up weeping many tears on that problem, but very surprisingly¡­ The Grand Duchy had a good relationship inside and out. And a very, very good relationship at that, extremely. If the Grand Duchess sniffled and went to her room upset, the Grand Duke would awkwardly follow her, and many had already witnessed the way they would come out the next morning with arms linked together and smiles on their faces. ¡°¡­..B-but I think it will be fine.¡± Peyton, who had seen that happen before as well, blushed for no reason. Rashid also seemed to get a rough idea of what he was trying to say and did not ask more. However, contrary to how he would usually openly taunt or completely ignore this kind of problem, his eyes became unknowably mixed with emotions. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Irritated but also complicated, but also with the smallest hint of envy. A generally angered look. ¡°If the Grand Duchess ever acts so arrogantly again¡­.¡± ¡°You, you cannot cut her down, sir. Even without the diplomatic relations in mind, please think of Elder Brother Kirel and¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­What is with you fools.¡± At that point, Rashid took the time to look back on his actions again. When he talked of someone else, it was true that the words ¡®cut them down¡¯ had often dominated. But he wasn¡¯t so thoughtless that he would speak roughly about the wife of his brother working hard in his stead over something as small as this. ¡°Then tell the Grand Duchess that we¡¯ll give her a proper wedding ceremony once the national funeral and all its processes are over.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Clearly, the eldest brother must come first.¡± Not surprised at all over the un-Rashid-like favor, Peyton made the order clear. When it came to anything related to national law, Peyton was worse than the Grand Duke Kirel, as the feudal lord of the Southern Lands and the commander of the knights. Especially laws about the authority of the imperial throne or marriage could only be discussed at Lianess, the conference of the lords of the North, East, South, and West. Chapter 105 ¡°Once the national mourning is over, it must be Your Highness the Emperor, as the eldest brother, that weds first. There is no way that the younger brothers can have such a grand ceremony when the Emperor has not even properly had a wedding. ¡°The Grand Duchess may be sorry to hear this, but we cannot help it. However, that will happen to each of us in the future as well, so it won¡¯t only be the Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± What he¡¯d do to that b*st*rd. Rashid stared at Peyton, who assumed so naturally that Rashid himself wouldn¡¯t be marrying, with mixed feelings. It was clear that he had no ill intentions, but that made him even angrier. All of a sudden, certain purple eyes that belonged to someone who always looked at him like this came to mind. ¡°¡­.¡± Shiing. The hand that had slowly reached for his sword returned to its original position, like the strength in it had faded. At any rate, a guest was soon to come, so he didn¡¯t want to cause an unsavory incident. ¡°Then I will go back out and meet with the magicians once more. I¡¯ll first check whether any information regarding Haniel came in during the past few days, and¡­.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± And more than anything, he was also a brother loyal to him. With an indifferent tone of voice that wasn¡¯t any different from usual, Rashid looked at him and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Peyton?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Peyton swallowed thickly, as if he had heard something that he wasn¡¯t supposed to hear. He was the most similar to the deceased former king among all the brothers, and he had risen to the position of feudal lord of the Northern lands with his supremely careful personality. He, who was all that, now stared blankly at his older brother the Emperor, unable to hide his gaping expression. ¡°I asked what is wrong with you, b*st*rd.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± Relieved as soon as he heard the word b*st*rd, only then did Peyton go out the door. He had questioned whether he really had been possessed by a curse during his few days¡¯ absence, to the point of thinking back on Tenon¡¯s nonsensical words¡ªthat was how nervous he had been for a moment. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was because he only saw up until then before he left, that he was able to conclude there was no possibility and shake it off like this. If he had remained in the room for a while longer, faithful Peyton would have gone out to look for the archbishop and then some. If, that is, he had seen the expression Rashid had as he looked out the window, alone. *** ¡°Our princess, how about this striped ribbon?¡± [¡­.Yesh. Pwetty.] ¡°No, never mind. This purple ribbon over here would look pretty. How is this one?¡± [¡­..Pwetty.] Baby, please talk with your eyes open, at least. Hmph if I do this, hmph if I do that¡ªI was panicking at Haniel¡¯s unusually passive attitude. But because I knew very well why she was like this, I couldn¡¯t even scold her. ¡°Are you very scared about going to your big brother?¡± [Mmhmm.] Haniel then finally slid open the eyes she had been squeezing shut. Seeing how worry was pooled in her eyes like tears on the verge of falling out, my stomach lurched. [Mommyy, what if Empwer bwother scolds Haniel?] ¡°Then Mommy will scold him, much much more.¡± [Mommyy, what if Empwer bwother bam! kicks Haniel away?] ¡°Then Mommy will kick him too.¡± [Mommyy, what if Empwer bwother eats Haniel like chomp! Chomp?] ¡°¡­.mm.¡± You know your brother isn¡¯t that crazy. Thinking that was a bit too much, I pressed my lips together into a smile. But how worried she must be to be like this. In the end, I stopped walking and neatly folded back her wings, which looked like they were about to be twisted backwards. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, you don¡¯t have to. Mommy can just go and talk to him by myself.¡± [¡­..No, no. Haniel will go too.] I¡¯d thought she would immediately say she wouldn¡¯t go, but for some reason she clung into my arms again firmly. Maybe to show her will to definitely go together, she busily pretended to pick out ribbons with her beak, but it wasn¡¯t doing her any good. ¡®My kiddo isn¡¯t this kind of kiddo.¡¯ She was a swan princess who was the happiest in the world when she was picking out a ribbon in the morning. Jumping into the basket on purpose, she would dig in this way and dig in that way. For a child who was timid and shy in everything else, this was one area where her stubbornness was no joke. And that child today, both in the morning and right now, was being careless, her heart not in it at all. I had no choice but to tie the velvet ribbon I¡¯d chosen onto Haniel and look for something to say to make Haniel feel better. ¡°But you got complimented again today, right? From Teacher Melleo, and from Teacher Darren, too.¡± [Mm! I like Teacher Dawen!] As expected, what children saw was accurate. Seeing how he¡¯d been surrounded by parents after class ended today, he reminded me of your average celebrity. ¡°Even in Mommy¡¯s perspective, Teacher Darren does seem like he is very cool.¡± [Ishn¡¯t that wight?] ¡°That¡¯s right. He seemed the coolest in the lake.¡± But Haniel¡¯s chatter, with her worldly worries forgotten, did not last long. Chapter 106 As soon as we entered the boundaries of the winter palace, Haniel¡¯s expression darkened rapidly, like she had a rain cloud that was only over her head. The flapping wings that had risen up when saying Teacher Darren¡¯s name fell flat, and her two webbed feet that had been rolling excitedly were gathered properly and stretched out to the side. ¡°B-baby. What are you going to do if you¡¯re already like this!¡± [¡­..Mommyy.] ¡°That¡¯s it. For now, let¡¯s go back home first and¡ª¡± ¡°Go back where?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Rashid, returning from the Pavilion, approached us suddenly. Since when were you outside! As I hadn¡¯t sensed anyone nearby, I was pretty surprised. ¡°Leaving as soon as you came?¡± ¡°¡­.Your, Your Highness.¡± As hurried as I was, I tried to greet him properly, but it was unsatisfactory since I had Haniel in my arms. When I stood there unable to do anything with an already frozen child in my arms, Rashid shook his head first. ¡°Never mind, that kind of thing.¡± ¡°But¡­.¡± Even without Haniel here, I already had complicated feelings in my heart about confronting him. Maybe because I was still a bit stuck on what happened that time he¡¯d come to the villa, it wasn¡¯t easy to face Rashid. ¡°¡­What, what might you be asking of me? As I¡¯ve said countless times before, there¡¯s nothing more to squeeze out from me.¡± ¡°I did not ask you to do anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I will be the one doing something.¡± Just how diligently was he planning to squeeze something out of me? Contrary to how nervous I was, feeling like I was already being juiced, Rashid leisurely left us, as if he was going to make a declaration of war. How fiercely did he turn and walk that I wondered who in the world it was that had touched my cheek. ¡®That¡¯s how starved I must¡¯ve been.¡¯ To be blunt, it wasn¡¯t like we¡¯d kissed, or even hugged; all that he¡¯d done was lightly put his hand on my cheek. Since I had become a widow the moment I opened my eyes to this second life, it was probable that I had this kind of side effect. I had seen many a side character who deluded themselves over something like this and got mixed up, ruining their lives in the end. ¡°¡­.and what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Anyhow, what was with that man seeming so okay. Of course, I hadn¡¯t thought that he would explain what happened that day, but Rashid was extremely calm. As if he had lived like this his entire life, the way he stood there with his hands in his silver coat pockets just oozed off ease from his entire body. Though that in itself was irritating too. ¡°¡­..Catherine.¡± ¡°Oh. Ye-es. This child over here is my real child. You saw her last time, but¡­.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Reina.¡± The short call of her name made my heart drop with a thud. He hadn¡¯t even called my name, so why would I¡­ I tried my best to focus solely on Haniel without being conscious of him anymore, but I wasn¡¯t sure why I was so senselessly acting like this. ¡°¡­.Didn¡¯t you say she was Reina before?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. You¡¯re right!¡± So continuous repetition was the way to go, even if you were blind and deaf. Unexpectedly moved, I nodded my head. I kind of knew this man now, and the fact that he had remembered the name of a bird was at par with the achievement of knocking down a few well-sized countries. I hastily tickled Haniel¡¯s neck to convince her to look at her own brother. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Reina?¡± [No. Not Haniel. Not Reina too. Mommy¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m foweva mommy¡¯s daughter.] ¡°¡­.Oh, oh my.¡± Haniel had become frozen solid into a robot the moment she¡¯d faced Rashid, and she entered a state of unconditional negativity. Perhaps because she thought we¡¯d come so I could return her to her brother, she only shook her head denying everything automatically. [No. No. Not Haniel. I¡¯m mommy¡¯s daughter!] ¡°¡­..This is, I mean, no. What¡¯s happening now, child?¡± Even Rashid, who hadn¡¯t been interfering until now, approached with an expression that showed how strange he found this situation. That only made Haniel whip her head into harder shakes, but as a spectator he seemed to find this funny. ¡°I thought you said her guard¡¯s gone down completely; did something happen on your way here?¡± ¡°Well, about that¡­.¡± It¡¯s ¡®cause we came to your house, thank you very much. Swallowing a lump in my throat, I wrapped up Haniel¡¯s head into the palm of my hand gently. Thinking that it might be better for her if she couldn¡¯t see him, I was using it as a temporary solution, but I did not expect the side effect that it would produce. ¡°I can¡¯t see her.¡± As much as he couldn¡¯t see Haniel, he took one step forward towards us. Even just the sound of her brother¡¯s footsteps made our princess¡¯s eyelids tremble, squeezed shut as they were. ¡°And what¡¯s the problem now?¡± [Mo-mommy. Empwer bwother, sword, sword is scawy!] Haniel panted as she felt the ringing of the sword that even I hadn¡¯t recognized. As she had the body of an animal, she may have been more sensitive to sound, but certainly Rashid¡¯s sword was threatening as it towered much bigger than the size of a child. [When bwother takes out sword, scawy! Eyes hurt! Huehh.] ¡°¡­.Your Highness, if, if you could¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Unlike us mother and daughter, now deadly pale, Rashid looked down on his own body, clueless. At this rate, this will be the death of this child. Chapter 107 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet. Since things were going nowhere, I attempted to reach out my hand first towards the inside of his waist but quickly withdrew it when my fingers met with his, startled. ¡°Oh¡­..¡± I¡¯d thought that he would raise his voice demanding what I was doing, but Rashid became quiet again instead. As if our fingers hadn¡¯t brushed against each other, he slowly placed his hand on his own sword. ¡°Are you referring to this?¡± ¡°Yes. If, if you could perhaps lay that aside for a slight moment, please.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The expression on his face said that he wasn¡¯t displeased or didn¡¯t want to put it down; he looked sincerely and only curious. Facing the innocent expression that I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time on this man, I chewed on my lips. ¡°Umm, excuse me, just a speculation, but when you went to see the princess at the palace before, did you have this with you at all times, too?¡± ¡°That is a given.¡± [Mommyyy!] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Without a second of hesitation, Rashid replied, and Haniel¡¯s entire body once again slumped down limply. How scared she must feel! I, too, wanted to lie down with her, but I was also the only person who could do anything about this rampant lake of misunderstanding. ¡°¡­.Just, just why?¡± ¡°They said she¡¯d like it.¡± ¡°What lunat- I mean, ah, whomst?¡± (T/N: sorry I thought this was funny (?) lol after you read it you can change it to ¡®who may that have been?¡¯ or something proper like that :D) ¡°Tenon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Let¡¯s not cuss, Catherine. There is bound to be at least one moron in every household. When I did not move an inch, my hand supporting my forehead, Rashid must have thought that this was serious. He shrugged. ¡°Is that not true? He definitely said that there wouldn¡¯t be a single person who would dislike this sword if they saw it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Should I just cuss? I mean, didn¡¯t I have nothing to lose now? If it wasn¡¯t for Haniel snuggled into my arms, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to predict what would¡¯ve come out of my mouth. I even swallowed down the words that would¡¯ve asked him to go throw that human out¡ªsince he was overflowing with an abundance of younger siblings, why couldn¡¯t he? ¡°Ye-es. It¡¯s quite marvelous. But a child is not just a person.¡± ¡°¡­..That is true.¡± ¡°And, it¡¯s very possible that to children, it may feel a bit scary.¡± ¡°Why would it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Since everyone was the same here, it looks like things wouldn¡¯t end by throwing out just one of them. I ended my long, deep sigh by deciding that the first and fourth brothers were definitely excluded from the selection of candidates. Especially that Tenon or Temon guy whatever, that guy in particular was turning out to be a dangerous character. If Emperor Rashid was the type to be all-around indifferent to everything, Tenon was the contributor who made the situation worse with his clumsy knowledge. ¡°This sword is invested with the authority of the heavens, that only I can use in this entire continent¡­.¡± ¡°I think it feels a bit scary when I look at it, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s scary, Your Highness.¡± Seeming to realize then that this wasn¡¯t going the way he¡¯d expected it to, he stopped boasting about the details of the sword that nobody had even asked about. Riip. The sound the sheath made as he one-handedly removed it from his waist was noisy, but I didn¡¯t dislike hearing it. I was only rather bewildered by the way he did not peel his eyes from me for a single moment as he flung it to the side. ¡°Your, Your Highness, you said it was a precious object. You did not have to go so far as to¡­.¡± ¡°Are you still afraid?¡± ¡°¡­..sorry?¡± ¡°I asked if you were still afraid of me.¡± I instinctively shook my head, feeling like if I said yes he would take up his sword again and strike me down. And if I had to say technically, it had already been some time since he had stopped becoming insanely scary to me. ¡°¡­..then what about that.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean Reina?¡± His gaze, just barely having left me, was now directed to my arms. I tried gently shaking Haniel, who was stretched out with her wings covering her face. ¡°Okayy, it¡¯s time to stop sleeping and wake up to¡­.¡± [Da, dat¡¯sh shcawy too! Dat! Obuh deuh like dat!] After opening her eyes into slits and peering through her wings very slightly, she showed her strong rejection that it was still not alright. I should¡¯ve brought Selene. Without a translator, I had no idea what she was trying to say. As urgent as it was, I scanned Rashid up and down before discovering the badge hanging off of his shoulder. ¡°Oh¡­..¡± The design of a black snake intertwining a majestic shield may have been glorious to look at, but it could very well be fearsome in the eyes of a young child. The snake¡¯s red eyes were especially decorated in gems, too, and made you hesitant, like you were facing the real deal. ¡°And what¡¯s the problem now?¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± How was I supposed to say it this time? I couldn¡¯t throw a tantrum at him to take it off since my child didn¡¯t like it¡ªput in the middle, I was in an awkward situation. However, I couldn¡¯t let the child I forcibly persuaded to come here, to be spooked again. ¡®I mean, this might be the only chance she gets to get closer to her brother.¡¯ If there weren¡¯t any significant changes between the two today, too, then Haniel would never try to come again, even if I asked. ¡°You have to tell me what the problem is or I¡­.¡± ¡°Ohh, um, the, uh, thing on your shoulder.¡± ¡°This?¡± With a glance, tilting and turning his head to one side, Rashid finally took hold of the badge on his shoulder. At the same time, when I felt Haniel flinch even with her eyes closed, my lips trembled, too. ¡°Yes, sir, that. It has quite the look, but¡­.¡± ¡°My late mother¡¯s household sent it to me in celebration of the throne. It has protective magic cast on it by the Great Wizard, my uncle, so¡­¡± ¡°It kind of may not suit you, maybe.¡± Rip. Before I was even done talking, the shoulder badge was torn off. Chapter 108 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet If I picked that up and put it in my pocket, would that look too low? This time, it seemed even Haniel was surprised to the point of raising her head slightly to look down on it ¡®You saw that too, right? Your brother isn¡¯t that scary.¡¯ Since Rashid was nearby, I couldn¡¯t talk to her like usual, so I placed a hand on top of Haniel¡¯s hand with as much of my heart wrested into it as possible. When I did that, Rashid¡¯s gaze also stopped at my hand. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°W-what do you mean, next?¡± ¡°What you don¡¯t like, using your daughter as an excuse.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± That¡¯s really not the case. I was about to tell him that I didn¡¯t care what he did¡ªthat I wouldn¡¯t even care if he went around naked, for goodness¡¯ sake¡ªbut I gave up. Because I felt like I would care about that a little bit. ¡°Not talking anymore?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I was worried that he might be saying that in a bad mood, but Rashid took his spot in the pavilion with authoritative strides. Whether or not he had his sword or his badge, he wasn¡¯t a man to be influenced by such things in the first place. Seeing him sit there first and wait for me, this time I really thought that it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference to me now if he was actually naked. ¡°What now, that it¡¯s making your face red?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t gone red.¡± After answering him without much thinking, I was a little surprised on the inside. In spite of myself, maybe because I now knew that he wasn¡¯t going to kill me anymore, I was finding myself sounding out the person that I¡¯d only ever been scared of at first. To see how much this man would allow. ¡°I said, sit here.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± And also to see how close I was allowed to go. ¡°And where will you seat that thing?¡± ¡°Oh, I can just keep the child in my arms.¡± Even as I carefully sat next to him, I prioritized my attention on Haniel¡¯s mood. After he had taken off his badge too, she hadn¡¯t been chirping, so it looked like there wasn¡¯t going to be any occasion for her to flail about saying ¡®Bwother scawy!¡¯ at this moment. ¡°She doesn¡¯t quite adapt quickly when she goes to an unfamiliar place, you see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying this much is unfamiliar to a bird?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a child I keep close in my arms in bed when we sleep, too.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± He should take a look at his own face, instead of acting like only my face is red. Secretly pushing out my lower lip, I carefully lowered Haniel on top of the table. Even then, I couldn¡¯t have her stand completely on her own, and surrounded her with my arms like a fence, sitting with my body close. ¡°By the way, Your Highness.¡± So say it clearly enough so that our little princess pretending to have fainted but is actually completely fine can hear it well. ¡°What?¡± ¡°About the lost princess. Her name was¡­¡­¡± ¡°Haniel?¡± ¡°Yeees. Princess Haniel.¡± At the same time, Haniel¡¯s webbed feet flinched strongly. Brother, brother knows my name!! A surprised but not at all pleased shock spread through her white body visibly. ¡°I ask this just to be sure, but, when Your Highness went to see the princess, you weren¡¯t trying to scare her on purpose, right?¡± [¡­¡­.] Blinking, interest appeared in Haniel¡¯s eyes. This was our chance! As Rashid looked at me with a pretty dubious expression, I smiled at him even more innocently. ¡®No-ow, bark out that there¡¯s no way that¡¯s true in a loud voice!¡¯ Roar! The more he fumed, the more the point¡ªthat it wasn¡¯t true¡ªcould be emphasized. As I awaited to be yelled at with the attitude of a voluntary martyr, Rashid¡¯s expression towards me was only strange. ¡°Hm¡­.. is that right?¡± ¡°¡­How, how can¡­.¡± How could someone fail what was literally put right under their nose¡­? If a person tries to push you towards reconciliation, practically opens your mouth to feed you your meal, then you should at least stick out your tongue! ¡°Hoo.¡± Watching him as he supported his chin with his hand, unexpectedly entering serious mode, I suppressed my harshening breaths. It was already long since Haniel had closed her eyes again, too. ¡°¡­..Your Highness, please think about it carefully.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? She¡¯d just cry if she saw me anyways.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m saying, Your Highness didn¡¯t make her cry because you wanted to make her cry.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± This time, he couldn¡¯t say anything that flipped my insides over. Yes, this was it! Not stopping here and taking a step forward, I softly thumped my squeezed fist in front of him. ¡°Now, one more time. At the very least, Your Highness surely wouldn¡¯t have done that because you ¡®disliked¡¯ Princess Haniel, I suspect.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­..as I thought!¡± Now that I¡¯d finally reached 1/100th of the way to the answer I wanted, I pressed my lips together, touched. As my smile regained its bright radiance, Rashid only gazed at me silently. Chapter 109 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet ¡°Is that important?¡± ¡°Of course; whatever the case was, Your Highness must have sought out the princess because Your Highness was worried and curious about her, but¡­.¡± ¡°No, well, not to that extent.¡± ¡°No! You were!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You were, but the princess may have been a bit taken aback, not knowing those intentions, so that¡¯s why¡­¡± So that¡¯s why I tried straightening things out. I only pressed my lips together and nodded at the end. I couldn¡¯t be more thankful that Rashid considered me a ¡®very strange woman¡¯ at times like this¡­ ¡°¡­..then let¡¯s go with that.¡± ¡­seeing how he didn¡¯t say anything despite that personality of his and just vaguely agreed. ¡°If that makes you feel easier.¡± ¡°What importance would I have in this? A person like me doesn¡¯t matter at all, probably, but¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who says?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± But at times like this, he would barge in mercilessly. When he strongly narrowed his eyes, like he was telling me to be clear about these things, I went back to my natural position of the herbivore prey. That position where I respectfully put my two hands together, and emitted the message ¡®please let me go¡¯ with my entire body. ¡®But Haniel, you did hear what your big brother said, right?¡¯ Anyhow, if this was the start, it wasn¡¯t a bad outcome considering this was her first visit. He had taken off his badge and even his sword with his own hand, and he also didn¡¯t raise his voice or become angry at the tea table either. He did raise his eyebrows sharply at me, but at the very least, this meant he didn¡¯t show the side of him that would make Haniel habitually cry out ¡®Big bwother scawy!¡¯ today. ¡°Now, do you want to try coming down?¡± [¡­..Mommyy.] At this chance, I gently tried unlocking my arms that were surrounding Haniel. It wasn¡¯t that I was expecting her to run towards Rashid and hug him at all. It was that at the very least, she shouldn¡¯t be collapsing in front of her older brother anymore. ¡°¡­¡­Hm.¡± Rashid also had an expression of great interest, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Knowing that man, his interest was probably ¡®I wonder if that thing won¡¯t fall dead?¡¯ but we couldn¡¯t surrender to that. ¡®Please, I¡¯m asking please!¡¯ Baby, mommy is watching you. Even if you don¡¯t go to your brother, at least to somewhere nearby. [¡­¡­okey.] Maybe my desperate hope shone out of my eyes¡ªinstead of swooning, Haniel put in her strength in each of her feet. The way even the webbing of her feet were tensing up made for a pretty resolute picture. ¡®Yes, you¡¯re doing well!¡¯ When I lifted up her chin to have her moving faster, Haniel¡¯s beak became as sharp as that of a haughty princess. Tap, one foot! That¡¯s right. You start with one foot, and that is your first step! Pumping my hands into fists, I was about to start clapping as encouragement, until¡­. [Wented. Haniel wented!] ¡­.it ended at exactly the first step. [Mommy, didju see?] ¡­¡­ [Haniel wented dis much to Empwo Bwother!] Didju see? I wented so so so far! Looking back at what was about 3 centimeters¡¯ distance that she had gone, she scampered back to me and buried her face. ¡°Mm¡­..¡± Our princess, you had a lot against him, huh. Now solemn, I pressed my lips like I was supporting my chin with the hand I was preparing to clap with. I was about to pass over this event like nothing much had happened, but this wasn¡¯t something I could end because I alone decided that anymore. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Slide¡ªRashid put back the hand that he¡¯d put out without knowing to its original position. He didn¡¯t say a word about what he would do, that he would hold her in his hands or pet her if she came near, or anything. No, he wasn¡¯t a man to even expect such things from. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was only that his hand, which had come forth more than was necessary, had returned to where it came from. If he hadn¡¯t reached out so far, it would¡¯ve seemed more natural. To think there would come a day where I actually pitied the Emperor. Unable to look at him, I slightly tilted my head away from him with my hand still covering my lips. ¡°You laughing.¡± ¡°¡­..No, of course not. Laughing, how could I. Ahem.¡± ¡°You know you¡¯re bad at acting.¡± Look at how he talks. No wonder the child freaks out after going one step closer to him. ¡°I said you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Cough. No, I really wasn¡¯t. How could I dare¡­.¡± ¡°Catherine, you can¡¯t deceive me anyways, so turn your head back and¡­. ¡°B-baby!¡± Popping up, Haniel¡¯s beak made contact first with the hand he¡¯d reached out to turn me around. Peck¡ªconsidering that she had just pecked the Emperor spiritedly, her body was shaking to the point of being heartbreaking. [Dun, dun do that! You can¡¯t do that!] ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Chapter 110 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet [Dun bully Haniel¡¯s mommy! Haniel ish gonna go with mommy and pwotect her! Bad Empwor Bwother!] ¡°Ohh, my goodness.¡± I unconsciously let out my voice as my breath left me. That¡¯s why you said you would follow me here. To protect your mom! [She¡¯s my mommy! Haniel¡¯sh mommy!] She¡¯d jumped into my arms even when she was this scared of her brother¡ªtears pricked at my eyes when laughter had just been in it. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Before something happened to Haniel, I brought her close to me and shook my head harshly. Though it hadn¡¯t been to the point of wounding the Emperor, there was no way she could be gracefully excused after daring to peck the Emperor¡¯s finger. Whether he raised his sword or whatever he did, I lowered my head flat so that I could block him with my body. ¡°Yo-Your Highness, this is¡­..¡± ¡°What. Is her shyness gone a bit now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± More like What, this man. ¡°You tell me.¡± ¡°T-tell you what?¡± ¡°If a child comes and does this to you first, it means that things have gotten a bit better, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I really couldn¡¯t be more thankful for Rashid¡¯s sorely dense and indifferent personality. It was to the point that I almost felt attracted to the way he was talking to himself this seriously after being pecked by a baby swan. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly what happened! Because Your Highness first opened your heart to her, she has responded.¡± ¡°¡­¡­More than open my heart¡­¡­¡± ¡°No. No, Your Highness did. You opened it!¡± Even if you didn¡¯t, you have, and there is no way for you to close it again. The more he muttered to himself, the more I hastened to smooth things out. No, das not chrue fo me! Haniel was cheepingpeeping loudly like she was protesting, but today was one day I couldn¡¯t agree with her. ¡°On the surface level, you may feel like she was pecking you, but should I call it a sign of affection? If she was not interested in you at all, there is no way that she would go near you with her beak in the first place.¡± ¡°¡­..is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like how Your Highness sought out the princess before.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you really weren¡¯t interested, then why would Your Highness have gone there.¡± At my faint smile, for once both brother and sister closed their mouths. Revealing Haniel¡¯s head again now that she wasn¡¯t flailing around anymore, I gathered up my courage. ¡°Though you may not have done things after thinking explicitly that you should do something, your true feelings must have been like that.¡± ¡°Then your daughter to me as well¡­..¡± Hm. Whatever he was thinking about, Rashid¡¯s eyes deepened greatly in thought as he propped up his chin. He looked once between me and Haniel each before he offered his hand in front of Haniel¡¯s beak again. ¡°Do that again.¡± ¡°¡­..Um, Your Highness.¡± It definitely isn¡¯t to that extent. This was a difficulty level that would be similar to telling a child who had just begun speaking to go compete in the Olympics, and it seemed Haniel also shared my incredulous feelings at her brother¡¯s way too quickened progress. [No! Not gonna do it!] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Mommy ish my mommy! Haniel will pwotect her!] Her feathers trembling, the princess of great will pointedly ignored his hand and twisted her head around to the very end. ¡°Hah¡­..¡± This thing, really. One eye narrowed, Rashid¡¯s finger went to the opposite side and stopped in front of her small beak. Then Haniel also twisted her head around the other way, and Rashid¡¯s finger again followed her and¡­¡­ ¡®These siblings, for real.¡¯ Thinking that this shouldn¡¯t go on for any longer, I picked up Haniel into my arms once again. When I put her down on the ground so that Rashid¡¯s obstinate finger couldn¡¯t touch her, Haniel rushed out and hid behind a tree, her head peeking out. ¡°¡­Your Highness, whatever it is, you usually need to pay careful attention from the first step on without hurrying.¡± ¡°Catherine.¡± ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t the case of befriending my daugh- I mean, a baby swan, in other things as well you should¡­.¡± ¡°I know, what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± His hand withdrawn, Rashid stood up first and approached my side. ¡°And I am already doing that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­sorry?¡± ¡°Stand up.¡± Contrary to his brief words, the way he pulled the chair out for me was flawless. If only he¡¯d been like this for his sister earlier! I also clamped my lips together, but to be honest, there was no way I could dislike that. ¡®To think the Emperor would be pulling out the chair for me in my entire life.¡¯ Nobody would believe me even if I told them, but this would be a good memory to look back on whenever I had to face something that seemed impossible. Without refusing him, I stood up and gave him a smile ¡°I think we did well to come here today, though.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. I hadn¡¯t even dreamed that I would come here with my baby like this.¡± Or that Your Highness would let things slide to this extent. I became happier the more I thought about it, so the smile on my lips didn¡¯t stop. However, Rashid¡¯s expression was a little different. ¡°¡­.is that such a happy event for you?¡± Though the sunlight seeping in from the detailed carvings of the pavilion shone into his eyes, he did not narrow them at all. And because of that, his blood-like eyes seemed to become more transparent. Chapter 111 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet (editor is on hiatus) ¡°That bird, every little thing about your daughter¡ªI¡¯m asking if it makes you that happy.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°What about your other family? Other things. I¡¯m asking if you have nothing other than that thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His gaze was not as pitiful as it had been last time. I could see traces of real curiosity, as well as his unwavering fixation to know the answer to his question. ¡°Do other things hold no meaning in your life?¡± ¡°My life?¡± I smiled as if to write this off as a needless joke, but I felt a bit stung on the inside. Who knows. I¡¯d need to have thought about it before to know, wouldn¡¯t I. As I¡¯d already said multiple times, I¡¯d been busy with my previous life every day making barely enough to eat and see another day. Now, when I¡¯d woken up from my sleep, I was half-animal, half-human with the title of a widow painted over me. If I were to say anything about my life, it was definitely not one that you could call happy. Other people wouldn¡¯t think it looked nice, and it wasn¡¯t a life one would envy either. In spite of that, however, the way I currently thought of my own life was¡­.. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°¡­..you like it?¡± Hm hmm. Rashid cleared his throat for quite a long time. ¡°What do you like so much about it?¡± ¡°Does there have to be a reason, I wonder. I like that I have a house I can¡¯t be chased out of, and I like that I see the most beautiful lake in the North every day. And also¡­.¡± The fact that you don¡¯t mean to kill me, that you aren¡¯t angry, and also that you¡¯ve spent a whole day with our Haniel pretty safely, too. I was about to say that I was thankful for all of that, but I felt a prick of conscience at how many of these had to do with ¡®you¡¯. ¡°And also what? Did you not learn how to finish what you have begun saying?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Yes. How can I not be happy that I¡¯ll be leaving such a rude and arrogant man and returning home, am I right? ¡°Catherine.¡± ¡°Just everything, generally. How could I possibly pick out every single thing? If I am at a place where I can handle something unexpected popping up once in a while, that in itself is good for me.¡± And more than anything, Haniel hiding behind the tree over there had let my greatest dream come true. Though one day she would become a proper princess and leave my side. The mere thought of it already made my heart feel numb, like it was submerged in water. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And so I had decided to not think about it as much as I could. It would¡¯ve been different if this was something that I could stop from happening by thinking about it; in my experience, what was to happen would happen no matter what. It wouldn¡¯t be too late to be sad about it when that happened. ¡°Your Highness, are you able to list all the reasons that you like when you like something?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You see? It¡¯s difficult.¡± Grin¡ªthis time, I smiled sincerely, instead of as a challenge. After all, this was the first time I¡¯d ever seen this man¡¯s eyes wriggle around this much. ¡°Anyways, the tea was delicious, so thank you for the enjoyable time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to leave now?¡± His shadow was cast once more above my head. His voice, not much relaxed, was tinged with an unfathomable note of expectation. The moment he attempted to bring his face nearer to mine to examine my expression, a shrill scream drove out from behind the tree. [Stop, stop it! You can¡¯t go no mo!] ¡°¡­¡­¡± [Mommy ish Haniel¡¯sh mommy! Mommy ishn¡¯t Empwo Bwoder¡¯s mommy!] T/N: oh she sure ain¡¯t his mommy¡ª /slapped (I¡¯m sorry) At the scream I could obviously hear, my head whipped around. With every stumbling step her little feet took to come save me, Haniel¡¯s ribbon was bouncing up. [Don¡¯t shcold my mommy! You can¡¯t go to Haniel¡¯sh mommy! Bwother scawy!] ¡°¡­..Baby.¡± That¡¯s not it! Wanting to explain things to her, my face paled to a deathly white. The problem wasn¡¯t Haniel¡¯s never-before-seen overexcitement, but the dim and big shadow that loomed behind her. ¡°No, noo!¡± ¡°¡­..no what?¡± And yet Rashid leisurely let loose a low laugh. Hearing his benign voice directly at my ear while my head was still lowered¡­. a shiver went down my body. ¡°That is also an animal, like you like, isn¡¯t it.¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ohh, dear Lord. What am I looking at? It felt like I might have seen an animal like that in some kind of post-apocalyptic movie depicting the end of the world somewhere. A dog bigger than an adult man¡¯s body¡ªthough first of all I wasn¡¯t even sure if you could call that a dog at all, for now it had the overall outward appearance that was similar to a dog¡¯s. ¡°Yo-Your Highneesss!¡± But if that could be called just a dog, that would be the same as calling an elephant just an herbivore, and Rashid just one male human. ¡°Grrrr.¡± With every single glossy bit of fur, it was just overflowing with discipline and dignity. Moreover, the aura of danger that encompassed its entire body reminded me of its master. Even the way it couldn¡¯t read the room and came sniffing at people who weren¡¯t welcoming it at all was just like this man, actually. Chapter 112 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet (editor is on hiatus) ¡°You said you like animals.¡± ¡°How- how in the world is that an animal!¡± I contemplated reaching out my hand before giving up, as it felt like my hand would disappear just like that if I did. Though it did have a leash, seeing how Tenon holding it was being dragged over here, I couldn¡¯t feel at ease. For the time being, I clasped Haniel¡ªwho had swooned in shock¡ªto me and buried my head in my hands with her. [M-Mommyy. The doggy, the doggy ish¡­¡­] ¡°Sniff. I¡¯m sorry.¡± That I tried to reconcile you with these kinds of humans. ¡°B-baby. Open your eyes. Please?¡± I had thought we were off to a great start, but seeing how this was how the ending looked like only made me think that this was what I¡¯d expected from my life. No point of confusion, just perfectly what you¡¯d expect from my life! As I quietly stood there, breathing in a state of despair, at some point without my knowledge Rashid had come up behind me. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You said you wanted to see the dog last time.¡± ¡°¡­..I diiiid?¡± When I lifted my head in a flash, sending messy strands of hair flying, I saw that Rashid looked slightly confused. But at that moment, a certain somebody¡¯s proud voice interrupted. ¡°As a direct descendant of the ancient magical beasts, there is only this one, owned by the Emperor, in all of Rohan. You will be hard pressed to see one like him anywhere you go.¡± ¡°¡­..Your Highness the Fourth Prince.¡± It¡¯s you. Yeah, so it¡¯s you again. Listening to Tenon¡¯s explanation that nobody had even asked for, whatever leftover emotions that had been on my face gradually disappeared. Just as you might expect from the one who had made substantial contributions in making the indifferent emperor an ¡®oppressive brother of the worst evils,¡¯ Tenon was excited all by himself. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it yourself last time, Duchess? That you were curious of how well one who has been taken care of by all in the palace would be.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..Then this dog is¡­¡­.¡± So it was also you then, too. As I looked at the growling dog b*st*rd, my cold logic was beginning to come back slowly. This was the one who had scared my Haniel badly. The dog of brutal vigor that had taken up an entire page in the novel was now right in front of my eyes. ¡°¡­..Duchess?¡± ¡°Catherine?¡± As if they were awaiting my reaction, the two men¡¯s faces were frozen in nervous expressions. Rashid¡¯s face had an additional layer of expectations written over it that made him especially hard to face. ¡°¡­¡­.Riight, I see. So it was this little guy.¡± ¡°Hm, I am thinking of giving it a name¡­.¡± ¡°A name, elder brother?¡± At least plan so you can be on the same page with each other, you brothers. When Tenon blinked like he had not a single idea of what he was talking about, Rashid¡¯s eyes fiercened. But when the magical beast tried to come near me after sensing Haniel¡¯s smell, he sharply blocked its path. ¡°Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.¡± ¡°Stop, dog.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Was he reciting a spell or something? I had never heard a command with this strong an effect before apart from ¡®open, sesame¡¯. Seeing the dog stop in its place in obedience to his command, I burst out in incredulous laughter. ¡°Catherine. It¡¯s nice to see, but don¡¯t go too close. It has an intellect that would be superior to the average human.¡± ¡°¡­¡­superior to humans?¡± ¡°According to legend, yes. And based on what I¡¯ve seen, that is roughly correct as well.¡± Like it really was understanding his words, the black dog leisurely lifted its head up. Maybe to show that despite its appearance, a dog was a dog, it even lowered its knees in front of the master he¡¯d seen after a long absence. ¡°Of course, I will tell it to not hurt you, but it does not listen to the words of anyone other than its master, me.¡± ¡°It was very hard bringing it all the way down to the North, you know. We were only barely able to bring it down after we had smelt the scent elder brother had left behind.¡± Seeing his chance, Tenon piped up about how they had brought the beast down. It seemed like it was pretty haughty itself, not unlike its master, seeing how it didn¡¯t give its tail a single wag even as it submitted to Rashid. ¡°It will anyhow be very useful, during the hunting competition soon and all.¡± ¡°What do you mean, the hunting competition?¡± ¡°It is a competition that opens annually in the North at this time of the year. Were you unaware of it, Duchess?¡± Tenon asked dubiously, but there was no way I could¡¯ve known. It hadn¡¯t been a year yet since I had opened my eyes to this place, and even then I hadn¡¯t ever gone out properly until these brothers had come. So whether or not some noisy festival opened on the outside, it was a given that it would have no relation to me. ¡°¡­..Catherine? Why are you not answering?¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Compared to Tenon and his tendency to chatter from his own excitement, this man was sensitive to everything. I didn¡¯t know what reaction Rashid wanted from me in his blatant stare, but only one thing was important to me now. [¡­.mmyy¡­ Doggy¡­. Doggy!!] That our princess had met her older brother just twice and had fainted both times. ¡°We¡¯ve looked at it enough so go take it back, Tenon.¡± ¡°No. We haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°How could we see this wonderful dog for so short a time and send it away.¡± I could end things with a sweet smile or two with the brothers, who ¡®didn¡¯t have ill intentions at the very least¡¯. Moving past those who were hesitating to face the black dog, I extended my hand first. ¡°This is such an important connection, so we could never.¡± Chapter 113 Note: This chapter has not been edited yet (editor is on hiatus) Growl. Of course, the trauma-inducing culprit, no. The nameless magical beast let out a low growl. Others might feel suffocated at the immense intimidation, but mothers were always the greatest. ¡°Oh dear, you must be frightened.¡± I¡¯m not just any mother either. Grrr. So, you¡¯re the magical beast? I was cursed by black magic. I reached out, seemingly for a handshake, but did not touch it at all. Instead, I took out a small bag from under my coat. The beast, which looked like it was about to do something to me, calmed down all of a sudden. It seemed like it knew what the bag contained. ¡°Your Majesty, may I give some of these to the dog?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Oh, I brought some snacks for Reina, but I thought it¡¯d like some too.¡± It should like these, right? Since it had a sharp sense of smell. I made these especially for my precious princess by finely blending the deboned filefish and dried till it was crunchy. It was all animal¡¯s second nature to fall for common fish jerky, so it wasn¡¯t enough to just offer their obedience to such luxurious snacks. ¡°I made this personally, but I¡¯m embarrassed to give such humble snacks to Your Highness¡¯s dog¡­.¡± ¡°Give it.¡± ¡°But brother! We don¡¯t know what that is!¡± I was speechless. What do you know about this that¡¯s making you break out in cold sweat then? I leered at Tenon, who was overly wary about snacks that were being offered to a dog. You¡¯re given -1,000 points! I made a huge mental note on him. Tenon had been acting as if I had been putting a curse on them. I could not see him in a kind light even though he was a prince. ¡°Your Highness, if not, I¡¯ll take my leave¡­.¡± ¡°Just give it.¡± Tenon could only keep his silence. ¡°Catherine, just do as you wish.¡± I felt sorry since Rashid had agreed to my request so readily. It was just giving a simple snack to the dog, but of course, that wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°Oh my, it must have found the snack delicious.¡± The dog dived for the snack as soon as Rashid gave his order, without looking up once while chewing. It ran for the handkerchief in my hands, panting, disregarding everything else around it. Obsessiveness dripped from its watering mouth as it wouldn¡¯t let go of even a tiny piece of the fish jerky. ¡®Others might mistake it to have been starved all this time.¡¯ It was the first time I felt that this was ¡®just a dog¡¯ like Rashid had mentioned. But even so, it was the very same dog that had instilled fear into my young Haniel. This fact mustn¡¯t be forgotten. ¡°I¡¯m thankful that you¡¯re enjoying it.¡± Bark bark! Its obedient barking had startled Tenon, who had been taking care of it throughout from the Palace. He looked at me suspiciously. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was in disappointment or amazement. ¡°J-just what did the Duchess give?¡± ¡°I said it was snacks.¡± ¡°But we gave it sufficient snacks even back in the palace¡­ There must be some secret ingredient in it, seeing how the dog had gobbled it up so deliciously¡­.¡± ¡°So are you saying that I¡¯ve given it something that I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not that¡­.¡± ¡°I must have been more careful then, instead of getting ahead by myself and getting mistaken like this.¡± I lowered my eyes with sadness written all over my face and pulled out the handkerchief from the dog¡¯s mouth. It whimpered sadly as if the milk bottle that it had been drinking from had been snatched away. I looked at it with the handkerchief covering my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I want to give some more to you too.¡± Grrr! Now the magical beast was glaring intently at Tenon, circling him in a most unusual way. It wouldn¡¯t jump at Tenon since Rashid was around, but it was expressing how there was nothing else it would care for right now. If it was circling like that around my Haniel¡­. Just imagining it sent shivers down my spine. Grr! ¡°Dog! How dare you do this to a prince like myself¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, doggie. I¡¯ve made you upset.¡± I said in a comforting voice and patted its ears, a stark contrast as compared to Tenon¡¯s fiery tone. The agitated dog blinked its eyes in confusion, it must be treated this way for the first time in its life. I bet that it hadn¡¯t heard the term ¡®doggie¡¯ before too. ¡°¡­Oh my. How disappointed you must be.¡± ¡°Duchess, but I too, have done everything I possibly could¡­¡± ¡°Sureee. You¡¯ve done everything, but haven¡¯t given it a name.¡± Tenon was stunned, then licked his lips as if wanting to protest. Another¡¯s misfortune was my chance. I grabbed the opportunity and reached out both my hands, soothing the back of its neck. Chapter 114 ¡°I would have given it a cool name, fitting of its looks.¡± ¡°Uh, t-that¡­¡± Tenon hurriedly looked towards Rashid for approval. But all he could see was Rashid leaning against the pavilion¡¯s pillar with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the interesting sight before him. ¡°Catherine, you mean that you would give the dog a name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I would want to, but I don¡¯t have the right to do that.¡± ¡°What if I allow you to?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I looked at him with eyes widened, as if taken by surprise. Rashid¡¯s smile grew at my reaction, but the first rule to fishing was to throw out a bait. ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s definitely an honor for me, but names aren¡¯t something that I can come up with immediately.¡± ¡°Well, how long would it take anyway?¡± ¡°¡­If I took it with me back home just for a night, I might have some inspiration.¡± Hesitating, Rashid looked up and then shook his head. I replied saying that I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that, then stood up from my seat regrettably, and the dog moved slightly. It seemed to want to follow me, but couldn¡¯t since Rashid didn¡¯t give his order. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll bring it back, brother. I¡¯ll have the Viscount give it the best snacks and look after it.¡± Grrr. Tenon pulled firmly on the leash as it was time to leave, but the dog put all its strength on its limbs, staying rooted to its current spot. Rashid looked up finally as the dog showed a strong will to wait for its master¡¯s orders. ¡°Mmm¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity, Your Highness.¡± I reached out backward furtively and touched the dog¡¯s nose with the handkerchief once more. ¡°I¡¯ve got loads of this over at my house.¡± ¡ª Rashid¡¯s expression stiffened as they walked along the lake leading up to the Duchess¡¯s residence. He had given his approval earlier since he didn¡¯t have many choices, but now that he thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem quite right. ¡°Are you really sure you want to keep him tonight?¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Rashid hesitated and brushed his hair back. He seemed to be conflicted about sending the ferocious dog to their house. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, Your Highness. I love animals a lot.¡± ¡°Of course, but this is an ancient magical beast¡¯s descendant. There¡¯s no knowing when it¡¯ll reveal its true nature.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± And why would he bring along a newborn around with him? I looked at the man who instilled such a strong trauma to our poor Haniel. The magical beast¡¯s description in the novel was mainly about it looking as if ¡®it would bite and destroy everything¡¯. It was written that it gave fear to the young one by either circling the crib like a wolf, barking louder when the child cries, or even rush up and place its paws on the crib to the child when hiccupping. Because of this, Haniel grew up to be afraid of dogs and even faint a couple times before the male lead, sparking his anger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your Highness, too, saw how well it listened to me. I¡¯m embarrassed to say this, but I¡¯m quite popular amongst animals.¡± ¡°Not just animals¡­.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Rashid hadn¡¯t been finishing his sentences more recently as of late. But he wouldn¡¯t get angry if I asked him about it like before, so I was quite satisfied with that. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s quite fascinating. This dog isn¡¯t one to follow others so easily.¡± ¡°How could Your Highness say that? Where else could you find such a handsome looking and dignified puppy?¡± I patted the dog¡¯s neck once more, as if waiting for his reply. It was already preoccupied with licking and sucking the handkerchief that I had given it, so it didn¡¯t care whether I was touching it or not. But instead, a reaction came from somewhere else. ¡°Hmm, if you say so, let¡¯s head in first and monitor the situation for a while¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be ideal. What kind of rumors would spread if I allowed Your Highness into my residence? I couldn¡¯t bear the guilt as a loyal nobleman of Rohan¡­.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ve memorised that, right?¡± Rashid smirked as he looked down at me. Those usually sharp looking eyes but not as frightening as before. My heart pounded as I admired his eyes that were reflecting the early evening sunset. There wasn¡¯t much time left. I had to send him back as it was almost time for my body to transform. ¡°Umm, Your Highness. My residence is¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. I understand if you want me to stop.¡± His abrupt change in tone had a tinge of an indescribable feeling. It could be similar to my current emotions. That rustling feeling deep in my heart like unmelted sugar. ¡°¡­¡± Well, anyone would love to treat their friends to a cup of tea, right? I wouldn¡¯t dare to address him as my friend, but something has to be exchanged here. I¡¯ve enjoyed so much tea and snacks at his place, and felt more uncomfortable since I¡¯ve yet to give anything in return. Right, it must be all there was to that uncomfortable feeling. There¡¯s no way other feelings would develop between us. Chapter 115 ¡°I¡¯ll get going then. I¡¯ll probably return your dog tomorrow, depending on the situation.¡± ¡°But would your daughter be fine?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Rashid was unexpectedly taking interest in the terrified Haniel. Haniel was still terrified, her head buried in the crib after seeing the dog. Even the reality was harsh for the young child who couldn¡¯t stand facing her eldest brother. ¡°Umm, she¡¯ll be fine. Please don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll blame me again if anything went wrong.¡± I could not give him a reply. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± It was weird seeing some as perfect as him to worry over such things. Of course, the worry wouldn¡¯t be for Haniel but for himself instead. Of course, it was his first step forward to be this considerate towards an animal. ¡°What if there are any issues¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to ask me to raise another animal or get another animal for me¡­¡± ¡°I was going to treat it for you.¡± I was stunned at his reply. ¡°So don¡¯t blame me if anything goes wrong.¡± He shouldn¡¯t have said that last sentence. I still laughed heartily in response. I knew very well that even if it happened, he wouldn¡¯t have blamed me for it. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± I stood behind him, as he couldn¡¯t shake off his displeasure, clapping. Indeed, the sudden change in expression for ¡®eureka¡¯ was important. ¡°If Your Highness is so concerned over me looking after the dog, you can just give your orders. You did say that it would only follow your orders.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What would you prefer, Your Highness? Mm, why don¡¯t you say, ¡®Please listen to the Duchess well, and don¡¯t bite or harm anyone.¡¯ How about that?¡± Rashid was speechless. I knew too, how his temperament and influence combined would be interpreted. ¡°Dog.¡± Rashid reached out to touch the dog on its forehead. Unlike how he treated Lady Melleo, power flowed through his fingers, as if casting some sort of spell on the large dog. ¡°If you defy, harm, or commit an irrevocable mistake towards Catherine and her daughter¡­ Let¡¯s see what will happen to you.¡± Yelp yelp! Rashid¡¯s smile alone was sufficient compared to any other threats, making the dog shiver in fear. Even I, who had requested for the order, could only lower my head and listen in silence, not to mention the magical beast that was being implicated. I had barely dragged it into my residence as the dog lowered its head into the handkerchief as it tried to stay out of trouble. It would be fine. The door finally closed as the dog licked affectionately at Rashid with gratuity. ¡ª ¡°¡­Oh my, you must be quite surprised.¡± Grrr. The dog was on guard as it remained seated even though Rashid was no longer around. Finding it pitiful, I patted it on its neck as Selene approached me with a smile. [Madam, you¡¯re back? Ehhhhh?!] ¡°¡­Be quiet. Look, you¡¯ve surprised it.¡± I signalled for Selene to lower her volume with my finger to my lips, and handed the crib to her with Haniel in it. It was still amazing to see how Selene was acting like a proper nanny, taking over Haniel from me and sent her into the room. [Madam! What happened? What did you pick up this time!] ¡°Selene, you should¡¯ve followed His Highness out if you¡¯re going to act like this.¡± [Why on earth would I seek death?] Selene did not withdraw her anger and continued shaking in fear behind the door. But surprisingly, it was the same with the dog whom I had grabbed its fur in my clutches. Yelp. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Ah, is something the matter?¡± The dog¡¯s fur started standing up as if it had noticed something strange from the quacking Selene. As expected of an ancient magical beast¡¯s descendant. Grrr. ¡°Stop it. Did you forget why I brought you here?¡± They said you¡¯re smart. The dog calmed down once more at my smile. The dog¡¯s eyes turned dreamy like Haniel¡¯s when she fainted as it felt both confused in addition to the scent of the fish jerky from earlier. Grrrr. ¡°And you remember what your master said, right?¡± I¡¯m so proud of you. I stood up after a while as I got tired from patting the dog. I walked towards the window and saw the already dark sky with the moon starting to show. Bark! Bark bark! Grrrrrr. The dog¡¯s fur could not help but stand on its end once more as it witnessed my transformation into a black swan slowly starting from my fingers. I¡¯ve deceived you. Chapter 116 There was no need for words since we could only communicate via the animal language now. [Aw, don¡¯t be shocked.] Grr. I spread out my wings as I¡¯ve completed my black swan transformation. As the queen of the lake, the animals¡¯ master, and¡­ Haniel¡¯s mother. [¡­Hello. You should know who I am now, right?] ¡ª Haniel, Selene, and I. Our mornings usually started with us seated, surrounding the basket. First was our baby princess¡¯s fish jerky, then Selene¡¯s feed. It was only after them that I was left with just a small piece of bread for myself. But today, the order after giving Selene¡¯s feed was changed slightly. Instead of having the bread, I turned around and looked towards the door. ¡°Come quickly.¡± Purrr. ¡°Stop purring.¡± You¡¯re quite funny. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat. If you¡¯re not eating, I won¡¯t give you any after this.¡± Yelp. The door opened eventually, and a black body revealed itself. It was obvious in its eyes that it would stay as far away from us as possible as it came to grab its portion of the feed. ¡°Hey, we eat together during meal times. I¡¯m still a Duchess in this state, so I won¡¯t clear two areas. Got it?¡± Yelp. ¡°Don¡¯t be on guard. You aren¡¯t scary and you¡¯re making fur fly around!¡± Who was going to clean up! As I reached out to pat down its fur, the dog jumped away in surprise. Sigh, what a scaredy cat. ¡°Seriously. Others might think that I¡¯ve abused you.¡± [A,aren¡¯t you hitting it?] Selene asked with a surprised face and food in her mouth even though she was wary of the dog. She was hidden in the room when I trashed it out with the dog last night, thus she didn¡¯t know what the situation was. [Weren¡¯t you avenging Princess Haniel? I heard crying sounds last night¡­] ¡°I wanted to do that but¡­¡± I threw a glance at the dog, perplexed. It seemed to have been quite shocked as it was panting instead of eating its food in peace. ¡ª [You¡¯re an ancient magical beast¡¯s descendant. So you must have guessed my identity, right?] I glared at it as soon as we were left alone last night. Regardless how huge it was, it didn¡¯t dare to speak now since it was intimidated by my sudden transformation. But it was still a magical beast, so it started howling, filling up the entire room. Grrrr. [Calm down, before I pull out all your fur.] Getting a head start was most important. There was no way a cursed black swan like me would be able to stand against the magical beast raised by His Highness. There¡¯s no way the clever dog wouldn¡¯t know of this, thus I struck while the iron was hot before it could come back to its senses. [Are you trying to get a go at me?] Grrrrrr! After the long confrontation, the dog extended its sharp claws and left a long scratch mark on the wooden floor. I smiled the moment it exerted strength in the knees , as if about to run towards me. [I¡¯m going to tell on you.] Yelp. [Try me, I¡¯ll exaggerate it ten fold. I¡¯ll tell your master everything as it happened.] Just then, I folded my wings back graciously. I was about to reprimand it severely but seeing it drooling looks like the threat was sufficient. [Good. I won¡¯t tell your master anything yet.] Yelp. I swear, it was the first time I¡¯ve seen a dog feel relieved. Of course, it was also my first time seeing it withdraw that expression. [It¡¯ll depend on how you treat my daughter.] ¡ª ¡°Honestly, what wrong did it have? It¡¯s natural for it to be wild, and truthfully speaking, it was purely following its master¡¯s orders.¡± [But still, it frightened the princess so much¡­] Selene said as she stroked Haniel,who was still scared sick, with her wing pitifully. It was breaking my heart to see Haniel so frightened. But there was no way she could avoid dogs all her life since it didn¡¯t harm her physically in any way. It didn¡¯t fit my educational philosophy either. ¡°Baby, shall we eat together? Shall I feed you in my arms?¡± [Mommy, ask it go! Tell it to go. It bit Haniel!] Whimper. Though it was still young, the dog could sense its surroundings while eating, and started shaking its head violently. What did it want to say? Chapter 117 I comforted Haniel with one hand and lifted my head slightly but could not understand its words entirely. Whimper! ¡°Slow down. Right, we can¡¯t communicate.¡± Honestly, those like me who were originally human turned animals are able to communicate freely. But there was a limit to communicating with pure animals. I was only able to spot their most simplest of moods and ask for directions. Sniff sniff! This dog felt wronged in this case. But I was quite frustrated since I couldn¡¯t find out what caused it, and eventually, Selene stepped forward after our meal. [Sigh, Madam. I seriously hate talking to it.] ¡°Hmm?¡± [Please come over. Tell it to stay there.] Selene hid behind me, glaring at the dog. She then rolled her foot and tilted her head, made an indescribable sound, which the dog barked and flapped its ears in response. Eventually, various body languages were exchanged such as digging the ground. ¡°What are both of you doing? What¡¯s wrong? Is the feed spoiled?¡± [Oh right!] ¡°What? What did you understand?¡± [Now that I¡¯ve heard from it, it definitely felt wronged from its perspective.] Selene looked at me as she let out a sigh. She circled her wings in the air as I watched her in frustration. [It didn¡¯t want to do that either. The princess wasn¡¯t food, and was suddenly ordered to accompany them to see Haniel, so what else could it do?] ¡°¡­Then, what did it do?¡± [It went on orders, since they were ordered to stick by their side.] ¡°Who?¡± At my question, Selene turned to the dog once more with a chirp. The dog then lowered and wicked its fourth toe. [The fourth prince.] ¡°Gah, seriously!¡± Forget who he was, why was he causing so much trouble! There was no reason for it to lie anymore if it wasn¡¯t out of desperation after getting threatened so much last night. Even at a glance, I could see that it responded quite enthusiastically towards Selene, as she conveyed our words. [It didn¡¯t bark either. It was just sneezing.] ¡°¡­What?¡± [It kept sneezing that day due to its nervousness with His Highness around.] ¡°Then why did it shake the crib?¡± [His Highness ordered it to check if Haniel was doing well since she would cry if he approached her.] [Mommy¡­?] Haniel, who was lying in the sickbed, looked up with pouting lips. She must have heard our conversation as well. But the moment she met eyes with the dog, she hid under the blanket immediately. ¡°Ungh¡­¡± [Is that so? Madam. And it wanted to say this.] That¡¯s good, continue. Selene spread her wings and started a body language battle with the dog. Regardless of how I couldn¡¯t understand the animal language, I could guess what it wanted to say when it pointed at Haniel¡¯s crib and rubbed its paws softly. [I thought the princess was very cute when they first met!] ¡ª [Though I wasn¡¯t particularly inclined to, but was surprised to see Haniel so small and cute.] Bark! It raised its two front paws in surprise, as if wanting to show its reaction back then. Oh my. I covered my mouth in surprise. Selene then looked at Haniel, who was still hiding in the crib. [But now that it saw her again, it thinks she¡¯s grown cuter.] [Hmm¡­?] What kind of response was that? Your tail was already wagging. I carried Haniel out of the crib since she was now looking out. It was better for her to see it personally since there was no need for Selene to convey the message. [M, mommy.] ¡°Haniel, you heard them, right?¡± Haniel remained silent. ¡°Now, do you still think that dog wanted to bite you?¡± You too know that it didn¡¯t want to. Even the dried slices of bread melted in my mouth as the heart-warming scene melted my heart. I smiled widely while savouring the taste of the dried bread, watching the harmonious atmosphere in the room. Breakfast had never been this splendid. [Ahem, Madam. Is there nothing else you wish to say to me? Or a gift?] ¡°Seriously!¡± As the situation had almost come to a positive close, Selene had to start coveting the bag of feed. She always seemed to be eating with her words. I quite admire Selene¡¯s ability, though she was at times frivolous. She could be truly the best when it came to understanding the animal language, similarly to when we first encountered Haniel. Chapter 118 ¡°But how can you understand everything? What¡¯s the secret? The others can¡¯t seem to do the same.¡± [The ones who were cursed had been living together in the lake, so they rarely mixed with other animals.] ¡°What about you then? Why do you understand animals?¡± [I just understood them naturally. If you asked me in this way¡­ Hmm, maybe I was cursed more harshly than the others? To be honest, now that we¡¯re on the topic, I was cursed twice back then. There¡¯s a story behind it¡­] ¡°Forget it.¡± I could roughly guess the reason behind it. Since she could even reveal others hidden secrets, it was obvious regardless if she was cursed twice or ten times. Either way, it was thanks to Selene that Haniel could overcome her ¡®trauma¡¯ for dogs. [¡­Mommy, put me down.] ¡°Really?¡± Seeing how she was fidgeting in my arms, it seemed that she had really cleared the misunderstanding. Even though did not open up entirely to the dog nor approach it right now, neither did she start shouting, ¡°Mommy, ang! Scary!¡± [¡­] Tap tap. It was surprising to see her take two steps out as I let her onto the ground. She could barely take even a step towards her own brother, but instead took two steps towards the dog right off the bat. ¡°Oh my.¡± Bark bark! The dog seemed to be excited as well as it jumped and barked, causing both Selene and Haniel to get knocked over by the impact through the wooden floor. It must be tough for you guys to play together. Either way, Haniel was still trembling in fear last night, but now that she had understood the dog¡¯s intention, there was more to it. Almost like its master. [¡­Madam, the princess should head to school now.] ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Selene stood up first and helped Haniel up, patting her white feathers. The dog circled them, seemingly wanting to help as well, but Selene refused adamantly as it was her job. [Hey, don¡¯t cross the line. We¡¯re not family even though I¡¯ve helped you convey your words.] Whimper. It could be due to its size, that it was obvious when its tail dropped in disappointment. Ah, I really couldn¡¯t stand those. I¡¯m unsure what issue this was, but I would always turn stiff whenever I see someone getting bullied or outcast. ¡°Um¡­¡± [Madam, I understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but no. I¡¯m the princess¡¯s nanny!] ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything.¡± [It might injure the princess with those large paws, and so would I. Did you think that the dog has good control over its own strength?] Whimper. ¡°Selene, how can you say those words? Can¡¯t we live harmoniously? What else would be left in it if you discourage it like that!¡± [¡­Madam.] As unexpected silence swept through the room, the dog returned to its spot by the door once more and laid there. Did they get hurt easier with a larger body? I might not like his look as if it was demonstrating to me, but I couldn¡¯t let it touch Haniel as it wished. [Mommy, why?] ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s nothing. Haniel is still small and weak, so there¡¯s nothing¡­ Ah!¡± I exclaimed out of the blue as an idea came into mind. The dog raised its droopy tail, and Selene dropped the ribbon in hand. I then lifted the basket right up. ¡°I¡¯ve got a great idea!¡± ¡ª ¡°Brother, you look unwell.¡± ¡°Do I look worried?¡± Rashid did not raise his voice at Payton like usual, who was worried about himself. Rashid wouldn¡¯t usually worry about others, but he could not hide the worry on his face this time. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t get to sleep well.¡± But it was to the extent that one would feel quite apologetic to be asking Rashid if he had slept well last night. Having a sleepless night wasn¡¯t an issue to Rashid since he had even gone through war without sleeping for a week straight. The real issue was how much it showed on his face for just having one sleepless night. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, is there any news from Catherine?¡± It was also unusual to hear him call out a lady¡¯s name as if it was second nature. Chapter 119 Rashid was someone who would care less about others¡¯ existence besides the other princes. The only things he would remember would be their positions and titles. To think that someone like him had addressed Catherine by her name a couple of times. ¡°M, Miss Catherine.¡± ¡°Duchess.¡± He didn¡¯t forget to correct others¡¯ mistakes either. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. There hasn¡¯t been any news from both the Duchess and her residence.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like it was the answer he was expecting as he put down the cup in hand. Everyone had finished their meal just then, yet Tenon had to butt in tactlessly. ¡°But I¡¯m quite worried about the dog. It¡¯s still the descendant of an ancient magical beast. Though it couldn¡¯t be compared to those endangered magical beasts, we can¡¯t control its wild nature. Regardless how well the Duchess had tamed it, if there was some unexpected incident¡­¡± ¡°I am concerned about that as well.¡± Peyton fiddled with his teacup as he agreed with Tenon¡¯s words. Though he could not stop the situation yesterday since his brother His Highness had given his approval and the dog too followed the Duchess without looking back, it was highly dangerous to decide solely based on the animal¡¯s actions. This was especially so for the pair of weak and powerless mother and daughter. ¡°I was the same, so I went over to the area while I¡¯m out for my training at dawn.¡± ¡°Near the Duchess¡¯s residence?¡± ¡°How could I enter her premises without permission as the prince? I stayed around for a while just to hear if there were any loud noises on my way back¡­¡± And met His Highness there. ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Peyton?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I was wondering if you¡¯re done with the meal.¡± Peyton¡¯s face flushed as he recalled the face Rashid had when he saw him at dawn. Rashid usually had an expressionless face on and since Peyton thought he must have ended his training at dawn, he decided to follow him but the worrisome look on his face then¡­ ¡°Umm, Your Highness.¡± ¡°We should bring the dog back, right?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± However much he tried to guess what was on Rashid¡¯s mind, even a guy like Peyton who was the most sensitive amongst the brothers, could only remain at a loss when Rashid puts out his conclusions randomly like that. ¡°Why would you say that? There wasn¡¯t much of an issue and the Duchess did say that she would bring it back.¡± ¡°How could I trust her?¡± Rashid still felt thirsty after downing the rest of his cup. The longing in his eyes that were never lit before started glowing. ¡°Your Highness, if the Duchess was indeed using black magic¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Whether it was the absence of the dog or the person, he would only thirst for them more. Moreover, he had spoken too quickly, which also caused him the most damage. ¡°I misspoke. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­But, we should know of Your Highness¡¯s suspicions¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something for you to know.¡± Clack. Rashid placed down the teacup significantly. His outfit was by no means inferior if he were to leave for some other place right now. Although it was questionable that he did not have his guardian power or sword with him, he wasn¡¯t one to be relying on them either. ¡°Where is Your Highness heading to at this hour? We will accompany you.¡± ¡°You guys should just do your job well.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still searching for Haniel as we speak¡­¡± ¡°Not that.¡± Rashid glared lightly at Tenon as he turned back. Instead, he glared closely at each of his brothers, as if about to label whatever wrongdoings he could find on them. ¡°¡­What are you referring to then?¡± ¡°The hunting competition is around the corner. If neither of you could make a cut for yourselves, wherein lies the dignity of the royals?¡± ¡°Ah, but¡­¡± Tenon could only scratch the back of his head apologetically as he had completely forgotten about the upcoming event. Rashid placed his sword back into its sheath as he watched his unreliable brother. There was no one else who would give their all into the hunting competition besides Tenon¡¯s resoluteness. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we came to the Northern lands, so don¡¯t think about returning if the royal family¡¯s reputation gets tarnished here.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be meeting the magicians at the borders of the forest so¡­¡± ¡°Bring the dog along.¡± It seemed to be both a natural and unnatural response. It was natural to bring the dog along on a hunt, but Tenon was taken aback since the dog wasn¡¯t with them right now. It was even more so when it was the very same person who agreed to let the dog spend the night with the Duchess. ¡°Your Highness, as you know, the dog is currently with the Duchess¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it back then.¡± Annoying. Rashid then buckled the remaining buckles on his gloves with an annoyed face. His cape fluttered as the tension in the air turned serious. ¡°Until when do I have to do these things myself!¡± ¡ª Chapter 120 ¡°Brother! Let me come with you.¡± ¡°I never said to not follow me.¡± Rashid said without turning around to his brothers following behind. He usually had wide strides but walking the lake¡¯s forest route felt like a long and tough journey. Rashid seemed to have no difficulty in his journey. On the other hand, Tenon was gasping as he barely caught up to his elder brother. ¡°I ordered the dog to be obedient towards the Duchess, so there shouldn¡¯t be any issues. It¡¯s a clever and obedient dog after all.¡± ¡°Does that mean that the ones that have been following behind and baring their teeth at me were brainless?¡± Rashid chuckled and turned around as he walked on the rustling leaves. He could be a pleasant person as long as he was around people he trusted. But the world had never seen him in this light. There were countless whose eyes shone brightly while they knelt down before him, swearing their allegiance to him. Amongst them were both the bravest and the noblest. It wasn¡¯t because Rashid was unreliable as the Emperor. On the contrary, ever since Rashid took over the throne, he had never dared to take a breath before the nobles. But like in most eras and empires, the Emperor was just purely an unique existence. An existence that one would love to stab on their back at least once. Such people had always been following both his father and predecessors like fate. Traditionally, appeasing them would require going through either marriage or a purge, and obviously Rashid chose to¡­ ¡°Well, there¡¯s no one else in particular to kill recently anyway.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± His crimson red eyes, which were filled with slight disappointment, turned clear in a long while as if they had been filled with blood. It was for a particular reason that Rashid did not harbor any sense of betrayal towards them. Since he enjoyed killing them off as well. ¡°¡­Peyton, has the magical beast¡¯s descendant harmed any humans until now?¡± However, it was different this time round. If it had disobeyed his orders, Rashid could fiercely suppress its nature regardless of its species. A strong anxiety accompanied him as that should never happen. ¡°Of course, there was no such instance when commanded by its sworn master. It would only do that towards its enemies.¡± ¡°What about towards animals?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Tenon shook his head when he realized who Rashid was referring to. It might seem like the dog would not harm the Duchess¡¯s daughter, but there was no way of guaranteeing either. ¡°If it did happen, the Duchess would have sent an urgent message. Even so, it was better than harming the Duchess herself¡­¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t happen.¡± Tenon was stunned. ¡°Nothing can happen to both of them.¡± Rashid frowned as he finished, feeling more repulsed than ever. Why did he agree to her request in the first place? It was the first in his life that he wanted to turn back time. His footsteps hastened, giving no care as to whether his brothers were catching up. ¡°Oh my, Your Highness!¡± If it wasn¡¯t for someone who stood in his path abruptly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lady?¡± ¡ª ¡°Your Highness must be out for a morning walk.¡± Lania curtsied, as she greeted Rashid. Lania wasn¡¯t as elaborately dolled up as compared to when she was at the banquet, but her soft white dress still emphasized her innocence as she walked by the lake. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Your Highness would be out here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you what¡¯s the matter.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, since the Palladium Lake is under our family¡¯s estate,¡± Lania blushed as she continued to speak, but Rashid placed a palm to his forehead, as if he had a headache. Of course, his actions suited the early morning walk atmosphere, making Lania blush even more. ¡°Whenever the former Empress came, I would accompany her on her walks. I never expected to see Your Highness out here at this hour.¡± Lania¡¯s voice, which seemed to be both shy and reminiscing the past, was soon moistened and lightly sobbing. Indeed. Strictly speaking, the forest road that Rashid was walking on now, was the Duchess¡¯s estate. Thus, there was no problem with her being there. ¡°I come by here quite often, albeit not on a daily basis. It¡¯s good to reminisce about the memories I had with the former Empress, and also forget the worries I had in my mind after walking around the lake once.¡± ¡°You must have quite a bit of worries then?¡± ¡°Ah, since I have quite heavy responsibilities on my shoulders¡­.¡± Lania swallowed a bitter laugh as she kept her head down when Rashid showed interest in her. Chapter 121 ¡°I had to take over the family matters right after my father passed away. Although it was tough since I had to take over the role as the head of household and there wasn¡¯t time for me to grieve his loss, I had to overcome it for the sake of the citizens in the Northern Lands.¡± ¡°Why are you alone?¡± ¡°¡­What did you mean by that, Your Highness?¡± ¡°You might be taking on the role of a representative, but you¡¯re not the officially appointed heir of the Duke. There was no need for you to shoulder everything alone. Strictly speaking, your stepmother is more qualified to take on that role.¡± Rashid spoke calmly. But his stare could easily make Lania feel a pang of gradual guilt coming over her. ¡°I feel the same way, Your Highness,¡± Lania replied with a bright smile, concealing her embarrassment. ¡°If mother steps up, she will be of great help to the Northern Lands.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°As you know, she has been feeling unwell ever since my father¡¯s passing. Despite countless recommendations, she was adamant about being alone. Of course, Your Highness may check with her since she had put forth that request first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter for me to meddle in. But¡­ Why does the Lady think that I would have known about how your mother was all this time?¡± Rashid asked as a smile crept up his indifferent face. It was a subtle difference that only those looking at him could see, but the reaction was evident. ¡°How are you sure that I knew what kind of person your stepmother was?¡± ¡°W-well, I¡¯ve been hearing that she has been visiting the Winter Palace more recently. And she was even assisting You Highness with some work.¡± ¡°Rumors, you say.¡± Rashid¡¯s smile grew, yet his eyes remained ice cold. ¡°Interesting. She doesn¡¯t have the mental capacity to handle the affairs in the Northern Lands but yet is assisting me.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m quite worried as well, afraid that she might be hindering the progress of Your Highness¡¯s work.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the only problem that you must be worried about.¡± Lania could only remain silent at his response. ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about your stepmother, you should have looked into her living conditions, should you not?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m unsure what my stepmother has been telling you, but¡­¡± ¡°I told you to ask her about it, didn¡¯t I?¡± That cold smile had been completely wiped off his face by now. ¡°I have no intentions to meddle into affairs of the nobles as the Emperor.¡± ¡°I- I apologize, Your Highness.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s different if it concerns the royal family¡¯s prestige.¡± Rashid then placed his hands by his hips subconsciously. The absence of his sword, which he had always brought around him up until yesterday, got to him as he slowly curled his fingers up. ¡°It¡¯s true that your stepmother is assisting me in some stuff, but as you¡¯ve said, if she really were mentally unstable, shouldn¡¯t you watch on the sidelines for the sake of myself and the royal family?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll look after my mother more carefully¡­¡± ¡°No, she should be the one doing it.¡± Rashid glared down at her with icy cold eyes as he expressed his disagreement. ¡°Highly meticulously, without missing out on a single thing.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Are you possibly doubting her judgment, that it might be inferior to yours?¡± ¡°¡­Of course not.¡± Lania gritted her teeth as she looked up at Rashid. She knew to not tremble in anger from her past experience. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be happier if that¡¯s the case. Father would be extremely relieved to see our heartbroken mother getting back on her feet.¡± ¡°The duke¡­?¡± ¡°Of course. Father cared so much for her while he was still alive, of course, he would be grateful to see her get better.¡± The princes who were watching from behind were puzzled by her intentions. A servant¡¯s wife, who was also the wife of the Northern Lands¡¯ protector. How would their brother take in the news of Catherine¡¯s position expressed so clearly in her words¡­? ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll gladly accept it as the Emperor if that was the case.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Over my dead body.¡± Lania was speechless. ¡°I haven¡¯t met him before, haven¡¯t I?¡± That light bitter smile on Lania¡¯s face disappeared in a flash. Seeing Rashid who could clearly distinguish between the living and the dead made her heart fall. The echoes of her breathing grew louder in the forest. ¡°Your Highness is quite busy and yet seeing you getting concerned over this¡­¡± ¡°You seem to think that you know your stepmother better.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of my loyalty towards you¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Then you¡¯ll know this as well.¡± Rashid turned around right before they crossed paths. He took a completely new interest that was different from when he had met Catherine. ¡°What are the nobles¡¯ thoughts about your mother from the last time they met her?¡± Chapter 122 [Wahhhh! What¡¯s that!] [Look over there! Look at Reina!] The kids at school started chattering about Haniel as they entered. But it wasn¡¯t purely because of her either. [Miss Black Swan¡­] Haniel, who had been in the basket all this while looked up. She looked quite scared as her friends, who used to tease her every day, had all their attention on her right now. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, do you feel uncomfortable?¡± [No, it¡¯s not that¡­ The dog¡­] Haniel looked at the dog underneath. The dog maintained its posture so that the basket tied firmly to its back would not fall off. Bark! Seeing how the dog raised its neck deliberately, it must have quite liked the attention it was getting right now. Selene started pecking at the dog¡¯s paws as she sensed its feelings. [Really? You could do this every day if it would make the princess feel better?] Bark! The dog barked loudly to express its atonement, but in turn, made Haniel¡¯s schoolmates freeze on the spot. I picked up some of the ducklings that had been pushed onto the floor and explained to the crowd. ¡°Oh my, everyone must be quite surprised. He isn¡¯t a bad dog, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± [B, but.] ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, sweetie?¡± The dog lowered his paws realizing the situation as I called out to Haniel. She blinked as she got off, noticing the tense atmosphere. She seemed to be more surprised at her schoolmates crowding around her than the ¡®dog that wouldn¡¯t bite¡¯. [Reina, do you know him? Who is he?] [Hmm?] Haniel felt scared at the friend who showed interest in her and looked back at me. [Miss, Miss Black Swan.] ¡°You should introduce him to your friends.¡± [Ahh, the doggy is¡­] Whimper. The dog seemed to understand that Haniel was introducing him, seeing how his ears pricked up and stretched out his front paws. Some ducklings were startled by him, making Haniel call out. [It¡¯s alright! He doesn¡¯t bite!] [Are you sure? Looks like it¡¯ll bite though?] [Y, yeah. He¡¯s not a bad dog.] Haniel replied as she had her doubts about it being a good dog. Haniel flushed as it was the first time having a conversation like that with her friends ever since she started attending school. She even walked before the dog whilst her tail feathers were lightly fluttering. Step step step. This time, she walked with confidence. Though it was just purely a demonstration, she had to pluck up the courage to do so. [L, look! He doesn¡¯t bite! Not at all!] [Woahhh!] Haniel¡¯s friends mimicked her and took three confident steps towards the dog, making the young one delighted. Haniel looked right back at me as she was at a loss of what to do, and I covered my mouth in response. ¡°Ah¡­¡± My goodness, to think I could see my princess smiling genuinely like this. I heard from Selene that Haniel did not make any friends at school yet, so it was extremely touching to see their interaction. [Reina, what¡¯s its name?] [N, name?] Haniel turned silent as she hadn¡¯t thought that far. I crouched down to her level as she tugged on my dress¡¯s hem and looked at me smiling brightly, asking for help. ¡°It should be a pretty name like my baby¡¯s. What name would be good?¡± [Uh¡­] What should we do about his name? To think a three-year-old¡¯s worries had skyrocketed in an instant. Haniel had started to tremble as she was surrounded by her friends and the panting dog¡¯s rising expectations. Hmm, did I give her too much to handle? I grabbed her hand, reassuring her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the dog¡¯s name¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What did you say?¡± [Oppa. Its name is just ¡®Oppa¡¯.] Haniel murmured in embarrassment, to which her friends who had been waiting eagerly burst out in laughter. [What kind of name is that? Why is its name ¡®Oppa¡¯?] [Um¡­] ¡°The dog is reliable and handsome, that¡¯s why. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± I helped our shy Haniel explain to her friends. Kids are still kids, seeing how they agreed with the explanation. I smiled as I watched Haniel unexpectedly become the center of attention, but my heart was already spinning. ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Just how frightened was Haniel of her biological brothers? It was heartbreaking to see Haniel name the dog as her brother, pinning her hopes on it. Chapter 123 I couldn¡¯t contain my trembling heart, and something rustled next to me as I turned around. [It was the Duchess. I was wondering why the children had all gathered here.] ¡°Sir Darren!¡± He must have been observing at a distance seeing how he wasn¡¯t anxious. I shouldn¡¯t make a mess out of myself as a parent. I then quickly lowered my arms and stepped aside. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve been well? What a coincidence, I wanted to meet you too.¡± [Me? What is it about?] ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± One would want to look at gorgeous-looking men whenever possible. Mr. Darren looked comfortable after exchanging a few lines. Were teachers usually like this? I wanted to believe that they usually act this way even though it wasn¡¯t true for Lady Melleo. [It¡¯s reassuring to see how well Reina is mingling with her friends.] ¡°Is that so?¡± I replied in surprise. [She is a kind-hearted child after all.] ¡°Oh my.¡± Such a compliment! Selene and I patted each other¡¯s shoulders as we laughed brightly. Had I met such a teacher back in my school days, I¡¯m sure I would have started a student-teacher romance chapter as well. [But Duchess, why did you bring that dog here¡­] ¡°Ah, somehow I brought him along with me when in fact his master is someone else¡­¡± Woof woof! The dog, no. Oppa, who was originally beside Haniel ran towards Sir Darren in a heartbeat. No matter what the matter was, anyone would flinch if he dashed over with that build. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± Anyone would be scared by him, even me. I quickly knelt down and wrapped its face, trying to calm him down. An accident could have occurred had I not stopped him, since he was a descendant of an ancient bloodline. ¡°How dare you misbehave at a school!¡± Whimper. The dog laid down on his own before I could reprimand him. He continued to wag its tail, and I was embarrassed trying to stop him from doing that. ¡°Haha, seriously.¡± Are you a female in actuality? As the dog became calm like a sheep, Mr. Darren came forward and stroked his head awkwardly. Just where had his ancient blood gone to? I thought it was better that the dog had jumped at Mr. Darren, as Haniel and the other kids gathered around us laughing. [Duchess, may we ride the dog with Reina?] ¡°Hmm?¡± [Can we ride on you, nice Oppa? Can we?] Woof! The dog¡¯s tail wagged even harder as his attention was returned to Haniel. Oppa was getting really excited. Oppa lowered himself and allowed Haniel with a few of her friends on his back. As the kids exclaimed in fascination, I raised my fists at the same time. ¡°Now kids, please hang on! The school bus is setting off now!¡± *** ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± It was Tenon who spoke as they stood on the hill, and Peyton¡¯s jaws dropped wide open. They watched as the Duchess whistled to the dog, which was carrying a few baby birds on its back. Just how could anyone explain this bizarre sight? They were speechless at the scene, but it was indeed far from their worry of the ¡®poor mother and daughter getting involved in a catastrophe¡¯. ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°She must have used some sort of black magic!¡± Tenon expressed his opinion confidently as he watched his brother murmur under his breath. Rashid was the owner of the dog, and third brother Peyton, possessed a magical artifact like any prince would, thus even the descendant of an ancient bloodline would not attack hastily. Eventually, the three brothers must have thought they knew the dog¡¯s violent side the best, and it must be natural to feel excited. ¡°I thought it was weird yesterday, it must have started since then. Since the dog was originally a magical beast, wouldn¡¯t it feel closer to black magic?¡± But unlike the excited brother, Rashid showed no response whatsoever. No, he had no time to respond at all. He watched on speechless and was already halfway down the hill before Tenon could even turn around. ¡°Y, your Majesty! How could you just leave¡­¡± ¡°Leave them.¡± ¡°¡­Third brother.¡± Peyton walked up to Tenon, who was still engulfed in shock as he continued staring at the sight happening in the distance, and finally woke up from the trance as if finally meeting someone who could understand himself. ¡°Isn¡¯t it our first time seeing the dog act that way since we¡¯ve seen all sides of it all this time on the battlefield?¡± Chapter 124 ¡°Tenon.¡± Peyton mumbled beside him. ¡°How could it wag its tail like that and even submit to her? How is that even possible? It¡¯s my first time seeing such a thing.¡± Tenon continued. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Peyton agreed. He let go of the muzzle in his hands which he had brought along just in case of emergency. But in the distance, the Duchess was still clapping, the dog was still wagging its tail, the baby swan on its back¡­, and even Rashid had somehow arrived by their side. ¡°I never knew I would see such a sight in this lifetime.¡± *** ¡°Kids, you should stay in line.¡± I picked up the twin mallards, who are fussing to go for another time, down to the ground. Look at how long the line was! It was the first time seeing Haniel this excited, so I¡¯m in the mood as well. I made a line for it in hopes to help Haniel make even one more new friend before Lady Melleo came. ¡°Now, let¡¯s all keep to the line¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± A voice boomed from behind. ¡°Your Highness!¡± I had wondered why the kids were suddenly so obedient, they must have seen him approaching first. The ultimate predator amongst the nobles. The kids might not know what charisma was, but Rashid was the type of person nearest to what their parents would have described them to be, ¡®My mom said to not go near that kind of person!¡¯ Rashid didn¡¯t even bat a single eyelid when he saw the kids running towards the lake and instead crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Catherine, I asked what are you doing here.¡± ¡°Why did you ruin the atmosphere?¡± To me, he was just an ¡®alright¡¯ man now. I looked back at him with a smile, not feeling scared at all. ¡°Ahem.¡± He let out an awkward cough with that cold expression and turned around. But as he saw the basket tied onto the dog¡¯s back, no more sound could be heard from him. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I was about to tell you.¡± Sigh, I can¡¯t tell him that the dog was Haniel¡¯s exclusive school bus. I pursed my lips that were itching to tell the truth as I observed his expression. He must be angry seeing his own dog being used as a child¡¯s ride. I broke out in cold sweat as I knew that his reaction was most likely a joke. ¡°¡­Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, just a change in atmosphere. It¡¯s fate that we got to spend a night together under one roof so I tried to get my daughter closer to the dog. But I never forced it to do so, it¡¯s all for everyone¡¯s enjoyment¡­¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Hmm? I looked up after explaining myself as fast as I could. But Rashid had already turned around. I subconsciously looked over to face him as he had one hand by the corner of his mouth. ¡°¡­Did Your Highness just¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t smile.¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± Of course he didn¡¯t. He turned quiet as he let go of his bite against the insides of his cheeks. Sure, he didn¡¯t smile. I tried to go with his excuse but couldn¡¯t help myself and turned back. ¡°Look, you smiled.¡± ¡°¡­Mm!¡± This time, the distance between us had closed even more, so much that he could not avoid my hand which reached out to his hand that was covering his mouth. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that you shouldn¡¯t.¡± What should I call this? I pestered him further just to tease him more, but this awkward atmosphere was affecting me as well. ¡°If not?¡± I remained silent at his question. ¡°What should I do then?¡± His deeper than usual toned voice made my bangs flutter a little. I felt restrained, though I wasn¡¯t. Strictly speaking, we aren¡¯t alone but why¡­. ¡°Ah, right!¡± Mr. Darren! I belatedly released myself from the awkward atmosphere as I recalled what I was doing before all this happened. Why did I leave him alone after getting him all the way here? Though nothing had really happened with Rashid, I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. ¡°There¡¯s someone I want to, no. It¡¯s because there¡¯s a bird here.¡± ¡°Who is it this time?¡± But unlike me who was looking around, Rashid was laid back and had closed in the gap between us once more. ¡°Uh¡­ Why¡¯s he not here? He was definitely here a moment ago.¡± ¡°Who? Your daughter?¡± He stepped forward as I took a step back. ¡°Or is it your son?¡± ¡°W, wait!¡± Stop! Chapter 125 I couldn¡¯t back up any further as I was about to fall into the lake behind me. Could he have done it deliberately¡­? ¡°Slowly, ahh!¡± ¡°I asked you a question, didn¡¯t I?¡± He grabbed onto me with both hands as if he had been waiting for it. Oh, I hated the smile on his face that showed him enjoying my demise as I opened my eyes in relief to find myself not yet in the water. I wanted to retort by asking him what was wrong with him today but there was someone else here who was shocked as well. [H, he¡¯s here again!] ¡°Hmm?¡± [Emperor brother! He¡¯s here again!] Haniel¡¯s entire body shuddered while she remained in the basket. All her friends had already made a run and left poor little Haniel alone, who was adamant about protecting me. [W, watch me! I¡¯ll scold him real good!] Tap tap. Of course, she could not take more than two steps out. She stuck close behind the dog and waved her wings harshly at Rashid for him to see. I¡¯m unsure whether she¡¯s doing that because she¡¯s gotten much closer to the dog, or because she had that much hate for her own brother. I quickly reached out for the basket. ¡°Sweetie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± [Sob, mommyy.] As I approached Haniel, she arm into my arms and started crying. She seemed to be trying to protect me but eventually broke under the stress. [Sob, sob. E, emperor brother¡­ he said to push mommy!] ¡°Huh?¡± That¡¯s not it. Since she was speaking between sobs and her emotions were escalating by the minute, Haniel was just spouting nonsense and editing her own memory by now. [He wanted Haniel to push mommy into the lake!] ¡°No, we¡¯re looking for Mr. Darren.¡± I quickly whispered into Haniel¡¯s ears to calm the little one down, without letting Rashid hear our conversation. But he wasn¡¯t tactful enough to be setting a distance between us, and soon butted into our conversation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her now?¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Regardless of how bad Haniel was sobbing, she was just a chirping little bird to him. Even if he had seen how the poor baby white swan was trembling, he just raised his eyebrows. ¡°How weak, it would only be increasing Catherine¡¯s worries.¡± [Bad Emperor brother!] I gulped silently as I was stuck between the two siblings¡¯ words. Well, Rashid was his usual self, but Haniel on the other hand, was looking quite serious. One would usually get freaked out by those words but Haniel put so much energy in making out those sharp looking eyes made her look so much like her brother. [Emperor brother is ugly!] ¡°What?¡± I understand her feelings but isn¡¯t that a bit too much? I would like to teach her to accept facts while putting hate aside, but Haniel¡¯s soul was already torn into pieces. Haniel¡¯s legs were shaking terribly from the aftermath of spouting the most abusive language she knew throughout her three year old life. [You¡¯re ugly if you teaz Haniel¡¯s mommy! Mr Darreng said people are ugly if they make fun of friends!] ¡°Is your daughter unwell again this time? What¡¯s the reason behind it?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± She said you¡¯re ugly, and had a nasty temper. ¡°¡­What did she say now? No, what is it?¡± The way Rashid shook his head as he corrected himself was looking quite anxious. I knew he wasn¡¯t such a guy but he looked quite sensitive over something so trivial. ¡°What kind of twisted judgment does a bird have against me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Catherine.¡± [Mommyyy!] It¡¯s a relief to see that they aren¡¯t looking at each other. Both looked identical as their heads were tilted slightly to the left at 15 degrees while looking at me. But of course, the more persistent one was Rashid. Rashid inched closer relentlessly even though he saw how much the little one was protesting with her eyes wide opened. ¡°Look, are you going to¡­¡± ¡°She seems to think that Your Highness looks much more handsome today!¡± I¡¯m sorry, sweetie! I shut my eyes tight and covered Haniel¡¯s with my palm. ¡°Not me, but my daughter.¡± *** ¡°Haniel, are you angry?¡± [Emperor brother isn¡¯t handsome.] ¡°You¡¯re indeed angry.¡± [He isn¡¯t handsome. He¡¯s not. Not handsome, hate him.] Even after we returned to the residence, Haniel was still murmuring the same lines over like some magic chant and even avoided my eyes. I must be a bad mother if I wanted to bite those bloated cheeks of hers that were filled with anger, right? Chapter 126 ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. Haniel, you saw how your older brother came all the way to see you.¡± [It¡¯s not for Haniel.] ¡°Hmm? Then who was he there for?¡± [Mmm¡­] Haniel, who had been pouting all along, blinked those large round eyes. She looked almost like me, with those eyes forcing back the tears. ¡°Why are you sad?¡± [Mommyy is Haniel¡¯s mommy, right?] ¡°Of course.¡± I lowered my head towards Haniel, who came between my legs as she ruffled her white feathers. I think I understood a little of what was making her this anxious. ¡°Sweetie was worried about me? About how mommy and your brother are getting closer?¡± [Yeahh.] ¡°My my, there¡¯s no need to cry over this.¡± I smiled as I wiped off the tears on her cheeks. How frightened she must have been seeing her mother often meeting the brother whom she hated so much. I felt sad as well since I understood those feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mommy won¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯m Haniel¡¯s mommy.¡± [What if Emperor brother keeps asking you to?] ¡°No, why would His Highness¡­¡± My words trailed off even though I wanted to assure her that her brother was there for her and not me, while I¡¯m just an excuse for him to find you. But, strangely, my tongue froze like it had been drugged. [Mommyy.] ¡°Ah, anyway. Mommy can¡¯t leave. I have to stay by the lake forever.¡± Ta-dah! I lifted Haniel high into the air as I laid back down. I should be the one crying at the thought of Haniel leaving me in the future, but I had to be always smiling before the little one. [Forever?] ¡°Yes, forever.¡± [But why?] The curiosity leader Haniel seems to be quite curious over this seeing how she was pestering me for an answer as she flapped her wings whilst I was holding her. [Why must mommy stay in the lake?] ¡°Mommy likes it here. My house is here, no one scolds me, I have lots of friends here, and¡­¡± Moreover, there¡¯s no family waiting for me, neither was there anyone asking me to leave with them. As I pondered over Haniel¡¯s words, I realised that no one had ever asked me to leave with them. Since I was cursed with black magic, there¡¯s no saying when the curse would be lifted so it was natural to think that I would stay here my whole life. Curiosity finally got to me. How would I feel, if someone were to ask me to leave with them? ¡°Hmm¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s not tell your brother that he¡¯s ugly.¡± [Why? He isn¡¯t ugly?] ¡°Yeah, he isn¡¯t ugly.¡± Humanely speaking. If her brother was ugly, he would probably live a single life forever. But I knew very well that our princess would be happy with a handsome and fairy-tale like prince in the future. Even so¡­ Would he be better looking than her own brother? That seemed kind of impossible. Anyway, why am I thinking over this so seriously? I told Haniel to forget about it since she still looked confused, and threw her high up again in the air. ¡°Well, would your brother be bothered by something like that?¡± *** ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Viscount Dion called out to Rashid, who sat opposite him in the carriage. There was no knowing what was going through Rashid¡¯s mind as he looked out of the window. Viscount Dion followed Rashid¡¯s gaze and all he saw was the bustling downtown. It seemed like Rashid wasn¡¯t focused on the streets. Instead, those crimson red eyes seemed to be focused on his own reflection on the glass windows. ¡°¡­Was I really that¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. What?¡± Rashid retorted and retracted his gaze from the window. Viscount Dion could only remain silent. Though Viscount Dion didn¡¯t know what was going on, he couldn¡¯t see the the irritation on Rashid¡¯s face. Instead, Rashid seems to be quite happy. Rashid¡¯s mood seemed to have changed ever since he returned from his morning walk yesterday. Rashid would stare intently at the silverware while having his meals, and also at his sword¡¯s cross section during his training session. His eyes would narrow into a frown which would stay for a while, and occasionally turn into a smile. ¡°¡­Where are Peyton and Tenon?¡± Rashid was prepared to alight the carriage as he sensed the gaze from Viscount Dion. The moment his cold personality returned, it made Viscount Dion, who was watching him, immobilized. Chapter 127 **T/N: From this chapter on, all formal addresses towards Rashid will be changed to Your Majesty. For those in the imperial family: Your Highness, My Lady/Lord. For Dukes: Your Excellency. I¡¯ll also be making changes to addresses as I go along. Viscount Dion quickly looked down and replied. ¡°They left early this morning, said that there¡¯s someone they had to meet.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°They said Your Majesty would know if I mentioned the name Cedric¡­¡± Cedric, the imperial family¡¯s high-level wizard, came along on this trip to assist in tracing the princess. If he had made contact, he must have had some leads on hand. Rashid raised his eyebrows so ever slightly, but not enough for his reaction to be noticed, and soon turned around to look out of the window. This time, he wasn¡¯t looking at his reflection but focused on what was outside. ¡°What is with the commotion?¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a hunting competition coming up in a few days. Though there¡¯s still time, it was the largest event amongst the nobles, and thus everyone is excitedly preparing for it.¡± Viscount Dion too was excited as he explained the commotion, very much like a noble. ¡°It¡¯s a tradition but since the Northern Land¡¯s Duke¡¯s passing, events like this couldn¡¯t be held during the national funeral period. However, with Your Majesty¡¯s arrival, everyone naturally expected for such events to resume as per normal.¡± ¡°Who would do that,¡± Rashid responded coldly. He had heard a similar rumor and was definitely not happy about it. Such events did not matter to him, regardless of whether it was held once or countless times. Rashid¡¯s cold response made Viscount Dion break out in cold sweat. ¡°¡­B, but, The Lady had already begun preparations for it, and it might have already been announced as well.¡± ¡°She¡¯s joining in the hunt as well?¡± ¡°No, though there aren¡¯t any rules that explicitly state that women are forbidden to join, as it was usually men who stepped up in such events. And the event will be held over a couple of days, the event has more focus on parties and banquets instead of the hunt itself. Please look over there.¡± Viscount Dion pointed at the Dress Shop that could be seen from the window. ¡°Honestly, since it¡¯s a celebratory event and the noble ladies¡¯ social circle debut ball, there would definitely be some commotion since the ladies participating would be busy making dresses for the ball. Some households would even hire designers to work on those dresses, just to make their daughter the most beautiful lady at the event¡­¡± ¡°What about the Ladyships?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Viscount Dion replied, puzzled at Rashid¡¯s sudden question. ¡°What about the widowed ladies? Will they be joining the ball as well?¡± Viscount Dion wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief upon hearing Rashid¡¯s random question. It would be better off if Rashid just asked them to cancel the event too. ¡°Her Ladyships wouldn¡¯t be as dressed up compared to the younger ladies, as the younger ladies are the main focus of the event in this hunting banquet. Instead, they are usually dressed in more elegant and high-class styled dresses¡­¡± Viscount Dion was then cut off by Rashid once more. ¡°What if they are still in mourning?¡± Viscount Dion turned speechless at his question while Rashid was alighting the carriage. Rashid seemed to be avoiding unsolicited attention as he put on a robe that was of the same silver ash color as his hair. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know about that, Your Majesty. Please let me know where are you heading to¡­¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let Your Majesty travel alone.¡± ¡°If you have the time, go ahead and prepare dinner instead. Otherwise, that¡¯s fine as well.¡± Rashid gestured with his slightly lifted chin at the largest turkey he spotted from a corner food shop. It was the first time ever where an Emperor had specifically ordered what they wanted to eat, but at the same time, Viscount Dion had gotten anxious. ¡°Sure, Your Majesty. Anyway, a turkey of this size would be used at a party. There would still be leftovers if five or size fairly young and strong men were to eat it.¡± Viscount Dion added. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that then.¡± ¡°¡­What? But there¡¯s only three of you including the princes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no choice then,¡± Rashid replied with a meaningful smile as he adjusted the strings to his robe with those elegant fingers. The glint in his eyes that were as eye-catching as the shine in the glass window drew attention. ¡°I¡¯ll have to gather three others then.¡± *** It¡¯s not here. Rashid quickly returned to his original spot after looking around the streets downtown. Tenon and Peyton may have been tracing Haniel¡¯s location for a few days, but he wanted to do some groundwork on his own. Even he was unsure as to why he felt this way. No, maybe deep down, he knew the reason for it. ¡°Your Majesty, look at the one with its wings spread out. It performs better than the other birds, right?¡± Chapter 128 Strangely enough, the moment Rashid saw an unsightly baby white swan hung around Catherine, he was reminded of the most fragile thing he knew. ¡°Wah, wahhh.¡± The cries would get louder as he approached the little thing, which would in turn make Rashid lose his sleep. It wasn¡¯t guilt that he felt. Rather, he hadn¡¯t known how to react at all. The eyes of that fragile body that were looking at him, was somehow deeply engraved in his mind. ¡°¡­Sigh, should have raised her up properly,¡± Rashid mumbled softly under his robes. Honestly, he was clueless at this point, about what was exactly ¡®proper¡¯. Or rather, what it meant to ¡®raise her up properly.¡¯ ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He thought himself to be pathetic as his thoughts could not leave this worry and to be thinking about it at this point in time. Despite knowing how bleak the leads were, he still wanted to look for her traces personally. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­Peyton, Tenon.¡± It was more natural for him to call out his brothers¡¯ names. The princes seemed to have met Viscount Dion as they found him almost right away and quickly dismounted from their horses. ¡°What did Cedric say?¡± ¡°He said that he recalled something about differentiating dark wizards which you asked about before. Way back when he was still in the magic tower, he knew someone who was an expert in that area and would call forth that person to the Northern Lands.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Tenon¡¯s face fell as Rashid did not show any reactions to the news. It was an entirely different reaction compared to the time when Rashid had first asked about it back at the Winter Palace. ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t seem like that, it¡¯s still puzzling to see the Duchess tame the dog so easily¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you guys are doing.¡± Rashid once again addressed his brothers like trash instead of using their names as his crimson red eyes gleamed under the robe. Before Tenon could repeat himself, Peyton held back his wrist and shook his head at Tenon. ¡®Stop.¡¯ As he reminded Tenon that besides being their brother, Rashid was also an Emperor. Realizing that, the brothers could only follow behind Rashid quietly. Either way, the most important thing was the pearl stone continued to shine softly, and Rashid looked to be in a better mood despite the situation earlier. It could also be for the same reason, as Rashid had been observing his surroundings closer than usual, which he had rarely done so. He even slowed down his footsteps as they arrived at a dessert shop which he visited for the first time, a dress shop where noble ladies commonly frequented, and even a grocery shop which was filled with fish jerky. ¡°Brother, if there¡¯s something you need¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± He continued on forward before he completely stopped in his tracks. With a frown on his resolute face, his footsteps eventually stopped somewhere. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± His lips started curling into a smile as he peered through the glass windows outside a shop. *** ¡°¡­Rebecca, what are you doing? Not leaving?¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± The ladies who had just stepped out of the shop urged Rebecca who had stopped at the bottom of the stairs. The street was bustling with people, excited about the start of the social circle event. Amongst them was Rebecca, who had cleared out all the shops much like any princess would, but she had an unusual expression on. ¡°What are you looking at¡­¡± The unknown lady followed Rebecca¡¯s gaze that was fixated on the jewelry store opposite the street and grinned as she too spotted someone else. The back of that man in a long robe looked quite unusual even for a brief moment. ¡°Go and talk to him if you¡¯re that interested.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Rebecca scoffed and frowned in response. The tactful Countess who was with her, then naturally sided with her. ¡°But Rebecca, you have Sir Everton with you, so why be bothered with an unknown wanderer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you should be more careful of these people. How would any normal knight or gentlemen roam the streets in that state?¡± ¡°Anyway, when is Sir Everton returning?¡± Rebecca threw daggers towards the Marquis¡¯ young lady, whom she was on slightly bad terms with. ¡°Why are you curious about that?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m just worried about your wedding since it¡¯s been a while since the news on your engagement.¡± ¡°Are you saying that my wedding has been canceled?¡± Rebecca¡¯s face turned dark, making the other ladies nervous. The Marquis¡¯ young lady started fidgeting as well, but she had heard some news as well. ¡°Regardless that he was on orders to do business in Ternam by Her Lady, he should still contact you since you¡¯re his fiancee.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my sister¡¯s responsibility, she promised to summon him back at the end of this year.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it tough for you acting on Her Lady¡¯s orders recently?¡± The young lady questioned. ¡°¡­What are you implying?¡± Rebecca sensed that there was an underlying motive. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Chapter 129 The Marquis¡¯ young lady hid her smile behind the fan held to her face. The lady¡¯s family was incomparable to the Evendell¡¯s authority but she had recently just got engaged to a noble family in the West. She might have thought she was on the same level and thus did not restrain herself from the high and mighty self-conceited Rebecca. ¡°Everyone was saying that your stepmother is seen quite often with His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°My father said that he wouldn¡¯t meet visitors, but the Duchess was an exception. I heard that they¡¯re working on quite a bit of stuff too. Did you not hear about it?¡± ¡°Y, yeah¡­¡± As the Marquis¡¯s young lady acted with slight sympathy, the other ladies could only lower their gazes awkwardly. Since they were the ones who made a confrontation with their head, Rebecca, it was no different from a silent affirmation. ¡°Even if your sister was the acting Lord, everyone thinks that your mother would have gotten His Majesty¡¯s acknowledgment by now. The more conservative nobles have already started sending gifts to your mother too.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my mother!¡± Rage roar in Rebecca¡¯s eyes. How dare she! The blatant contempt made the other ladies freeze on the spot instantaneously. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to convey your message to my sister, Eloise. I still have my doubts, but I sure trust my sister.¡± ¡°Ah, no. There¡¯s really no need¡­¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± The prideful Rebecca shoved Lady Eloise without a care of what others might think of her. ¡®Eloise hadn¡¯t dared to look at me in the eye before, but ever since her engagement, it was disgusting to see how she tries to be on the same level as I am.¡¯ Rebecca thought to herself. She, too, would be able to trample on them soon when her fiance returns to her side. But for that to happen, her sister Lania¡¯s plan with His Majesty must have some sort of progress. However¡­ Rebecca frowned and once again turned around, hoping to confirm that person¡¯s identity, but it wasn¡¯t only the robed man who had disappeared. Even the jewels which she had set her eyes on had disappeared! She gritted her teeth, seething in anger as she stared at the now-empty display case. *** ¡°It¡¯s time! There¡¯s nothing much, so just take it lightly. Got it? [¡­Ok.] ¡°¡­Selene, why are you not answering?¡± [Madammm! Why must I go? I don¡¯t want to go, please!] Selene begged. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want you to either¡­.¡± I opened an envelope before Selene who was throwing a tantrum and desperately clinging onto a nearby tree trunk. ¡°He explicitly stated to have the three of us there. Me, Haniel, and Haniel¡¯s friend.¡± [Ahhh! Why me!] How would I know? If I knew what His Majesty was thinking, there was no reason for us to be going through this right now. Moreover, I¡¯m not in the mood recently to know what was on his mind either. I would overthink things if I were to go down that road, thus I¡¯m trying to make things simple for myself. [But Madam.] ¡°Yes?¡± [If it¡¯s not something too serious, why did you put so much effort in dressing up?] Selene asked as she pointed at the pearl hairpin on my head. ¡°¡­Did I?¡± I never thought Selene would have paid attention to me while she was busy throwing tantrums about not wanting to go. Truth was, every time Lania got angry, she would stop sending over any support and expenses for my residence, thus this was one of the few pieces of jewelry I had left in my possession. ¡°I, it¡¯s just to change up my mood. It¡¯s just collecting dust in the drawer anyway. There¡¯s no particular reason.¡± [If so, can I wear it on my head then?] ¡°¡­I¡¯ll put it on your beak then.¡± I gestured with my hands, wanting to wear it on her beak when Selene ran away. I put Haniel on Oppa¡¯s back, and we set off, but her large round eyes were holding back tears. ¡°Haniel, it won¡¯t be as scary as when you first met him,¡± I assured the little one. [¡­But.] ¡°You heard him right? If he really hates you, he wouldn¡¯t have gone out looking for you.¡± The dog then barked in agreement and even jumped slightly. Haniel hurriedly grabbed the stray straws of the basket at the sudden movement. Haniel¡¯s mind must be filled with all sorts of worries. [Mommy¡­ Emperor brother, he looked at Haniel like this.] Haniel tried to reenact how Rashid looked at her as her eyelids were slightly blinking. It was obvious that she was trying to show how Rashid had frowned at her before. Chapter 130 ¡°He did that when you were in the palace?¡± [Yes.] She must have strongly believed in what she saw as she was drained of energy after that reenactment. [And he, he did this with his hand too.] ¡°Above your head?¡± [Yeah, he raised his hand like this, almost hit me.] Haniel shut her eyes tightly as she raised her own wing above her head. Looks like she had recalled his scary actions from the past. *Flashback* Emperor Rashid¡¯s sword clanked as he entered the princess¡¯s living quarters. The young Haniel began to tremble the moment his dark aura entered the room, but Rashid had shown no reaction to her. Rashid slowly approached his baby sister¡¯s crib even though he could see that she was so fear-stricken to the point that she could not cry out. ¡°You¡­¡± Rashid¡¯s crimson eyes narrowed as he looked at the little princess. As he raised his hand which was as large as the princess herself, the fear-stricken princess started hiccuping. Brother is so scary! Don¡¯t hit me! She looked at him with those puppy eyes, but the cold-headed Rashid did not stop. Tap, his middle finger stopped on her cheek, and Haniel shook her head. Though she wasn¡¯t hit, it didn¡¯t feel like an affectionate action either. ¡°Wahhhhh!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, please bear with it! Please think of the late queen. Please, she¡­¡± Haniel burst out wailing, making the other princes who were waiting by the door barge into the room. The princes were waiting for an explanation, but Rashid just shot them an annoyed look. ¡°What did I do to her?¡± He then threw a final heartless glance at the young princess. *Flashback ends* [Koong! Brother hit Haniel here!] Haniel turned around to show and then acted as if she was in pain then fainted. The startled dog started barking and circled round, whilst Haniel recalled the pain from a year back as her eyes were still trembling shut. ¡°Sweetie.¡± [S,scary! What if brother hits me again?] ¡°I said that I¡¯ll hit him back if he does that again.¡± Haniel¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits at my response. Haniel has been getting better at making that doubtful expression recently. This must be an inevitable process while raising kids. I helped Haniel get back up in the basket with a bitter smile. But I¡¯m grateful and proud of her seeing how she went along without any complaints. ¡°If. If this time, your big brother does it again, I¡¯ll never bring you along next time.¡± [¡­Really?] ¡°Yeah, but if Haniel is in any way mistaken¡­.¡± The Winter Palace was visible by now. I quickly bowed my head whispering as I spotted the fidgeting shadow that had already arrived at the garden. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do it again. Got it.¡± *** ¡°Your Majesty, the food has all been prepared as per your orders. When will the guests arrive¡­¡± ¡°There they are.¡± Rashid slowly raised his head as he remained seated at the table in the garden. Unlike how he had been giving out orders to prepare the food and low tables near the lake without rest, he raised the documents in his hands once more when the Duchess was within his field of vision as she walked on the path along the lake. Unsure of his motives, but anyone could see that he had intentionally put up the facade of ¡®I don¡¯t care who¡¯s here¡¯. ¡°I see Her Ladyship has arrived. But what about the remaining guests?¡± ¡°They¡¯re here together.¡± Rashid replied calmly. Viscount Dion, who had been in charge of setting up the banquet table, fixed his glasses for a clearer look. Viscount Dion had thought that Rashid was expecting an extremely secretive guest or about to have an extremely important discussion seeing how he had asked him to prepare everything personally. ¡°Um¡­ But I could only see¡­¡± Could they be counted as guests? It was the Duchess, His Majesty¡¯s dog with a baby white swan on its back, and following behind them was a Mallard. Strictly speaking as living forms, there were four of them. ¡°Why? Is there something wrong?¡± Rashid asked. ¡°Of course not.¡± Viscount Dion was surprised at the relentless gaze from Rashid poking from behind the documents, and continued cleaning the tableware. However, he was bound to be flustered since he had never entertained such guests before. ¡°Umm, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Keep everything to yourself. Don¡¯t think either. If you make them feel awkward in any way, I¡¯ll make you responsible.¡± Rashid ordered in a strict voice. ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Viscount Dion fidgeted at Rashid¡¯s straightforward and clear warning. Rashid quickly threw a fierce glance at Viscount Dion, as if he knew what he was thinking exactly. Viscount Dion instinctively lowered his head and assured Rashid. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry.¡± Deep down, Viscount Dion knew that Rashid wasn¡¯t one whose actions could be understood. His Majesty must have his own motives¡­ So he found it better to stay away from this. Even the princes greeted the Duchess and her companions without much surprise, so he might just be the only person who was acting strangely there. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived early, Your Majesty. Thank you for gracing¡­¡± ¡°Get up.¡± She might have been cut off heartlessly at first glance, but His Majesty had already stood up from his seat. Chapter 131 The Duchess was the definition of elegant as she curtsied while holding onto the hems of her dress with both hands. ¡°Mm¡­¡± Of course, that¡¯s just on the surface. Viscount Dion¡¯s cheeks flushed just as the Duchess acknowledged and greeted him back with a glance. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t know much about the Duchess. He might be in charge of manning the Winter Palace and have his own territory, he rarely had the chance to meet her. Even so, he wasn¡¯t entirely unfamiliar with her. He might have not met her in person before, but he felt as though he had met her from the rumors he heard through the grapevines since they were quite rampant. ¡°Your Majesty, the princes are here too.¡± ¡°Your Ladyship.¡± It¡¯s unimaginable the type of crimes one with beauty like hers would be unable to commit. Viscount Dion stole glances at the Duchess whilst she was exchanging greetings with the princes. There was no doubt if the late Duke was said to have been seduced by her as that bewitching smile had almost melted his heart. Just how much did the other noble ladies curse the ¡®rude Duchess¡¯ out at every other social event held throughout the years? Thankfully there was Young Lady Lania who had taken her stepmother¡¯s side, otherwise, she could have been sued as a witch. The respectable late Duke¡¯s one and only stigma. She was always cursed as an ominous lady since she was always wearing a black dress though it was still the late Duke¡¯s mourning period, on top of that long black hair of hers. And today without fail, she was dressed to the T like the rumors. ¡°Why are you so p- dressed up today?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Why did you put on such a huge¡­ It must be quite a heavy bow you¡¯re making.¡± But His Majesty spotted something that even the Viscount could not discover. He frowned as he discovered a pearl tinier than that of a baby¡¯s fingernail, He even growled at his own brothers, signaling them a warning. Everyone, turn away. No one would dare say this directly to His Majesty, but he looked like a wild beast who was getting impatient with the prey he had just caught. The Duchess tried to lift the awkward tension in the air by laughing it off. It was then when His Majesty let out a cough and released the frown on his face. ¡°Forget it, since you¡¯ve already dressed up.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The Duchess then put her hand down once more. Evidently, no one was comparable to her beauty. Viscount Dion then clucked his tongue, ¡®It would be great if she was normal.¡¯ He didn¡¯t believe that all those rumors spreading out there were right, but he looked like those who had been brainwashed by the rumors over the past year. Naturally, he would be warier of her. On the other hand, Peyton thought Viscount Dion¡¯s gazes were quite abnormal and thus decided to warn him. Only then did Viscount Dion finally turn his focus back to his own work. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve brought them here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Kids, you should greet His Majesty. Quick!¡± However, it felt solemn-looking at the Duchess who picked up the baby swan from the dog¡¯s back, regardless of how hard she tried. On top of that, everyone was on alert as they were afraid that she would grab the mallard that was slowly waddling from behind the tree and start sprinkling blood all over the place, putting a curse on everyone present. ¡°Are you going to stay shy like this?¡± ¡°Quack, quackkkkk!¡± The mallard cried as it was picked up by the collar, the Duchess covered its beak and laughed in embarrassment. Viscount Dion was surprised, but His Majesty remained expressionless. However, what was more surprising was the following words from His Majesty. ¡°Was it Selene? How long more is it going to act that way?¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­¡± Did His Majesty just say the mallard¡¯s name?! Clank! Viscount Dion drew everyone¡¯s attention as he dropped the silver cup. He hurriedly picked up the cup, and His Majesty¡¯s frown turned back towards the Duchess. The Duchess continued to ramble on as if nothing had happened. ¡°It¡¯s just that recently she had become quite shy.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it wasn¡¯t this way before?¡± ¡°That was back then, but now¡­¡± What¡¯s this? As His Majesty and the Duchess continued with the conversation, Viscount Dion felt more ashamed by the minute. Everyone here was acting totally normal, and he was the only one who seemed to be out of place, in a totally different world. The princes seemed to have a slightly suspicious look on their faces but they had no intentions of interrupting the conversation. Instead, Prince Peyton picked up a sliced grilled fish and approached the baby white swan, seemingly wanting to feed it. Chapter 132 ¡°Your Ladyship, may I feed some of this?¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s¡­¡± The baby white swan stared at the plate brought forward to it, but it still had its head facing the ground, its body visibly trembling. It seemed to do better than when His Majesty had first approached it, but it didn¡¯t seem to have the appetite. ¡°Hmm.¡± Eventually, Viscount Dion had decided to step up. He couldn¡¯t keep throwing suspicious glances at their esteemed guests after all. Although His Majesty had given a warning, but as the caretaker of the Winter Palace, he couldn¡¯t slip up in hospitality towards the guests. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The food is specially prepared under His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± Viscount Dion answered. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Up close, the Duchess¡¯s eyes looked like those purple jewels shining with fancy lights. How could there be someone like that¡­. Viscount Dion¡¯s view on the Duchess had changed, and he became more polite. ¡°His Majesty had ordered to prepare a turkey from downtown but who could guarantee the food quality?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. How could I be reckless in food preparation for your esteemed guests¡­.¡± The Duchess, along with the mallard which had been hiding behind the tree all this while, was shocked when Viscount Dion gestured towards the table filled with food. ¡°Wow!¡± The was a gorgeous three-tier cake, colorful desserts, and even the finest brandy aged in the basement cellar. Both the Duchess and her pet duck couldn¡¯t seem to hide their entranced looks, and the Viscount shrugged, proud of himself. Truthfully, it was nice to see real reactions from them for a change since Viscount Dion had always been serving other noble ladies who would hide their real expressions behind their fans and even complain about things. ¡°Ahem.¡± It didn¡¯t end there as Viscount Dion moved to the center of the table. The long-awaited highlight of the banquet was raised under a huge dome-shaped cover. ¡°And the highlight!¡± However, the reactions weren¡¯t what he had expected. The Duchess, who had her hands clasped together expressing her high anticipation, slowly let them go and even started shaking slightly. ¡°I-it doesn¡¯t look like turkey.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t trust food prepared outside that¡¯s for His Majesty, so I¡¯ve prepared them personally.¡± ¡°¡­I, I see.¡± The Duchess¡¯s face turned paler as she managed out those words, wondering if something wrong had happened to the dish as she stared at it. ¡°Look, I caught this personally today. It¡¯s hard to see one like this here.¡± The goose must have been caught while training for the hunt, then turned into a delicious-looking dish with a shiny luster. The goose was prepared and grilled to perfection. Seeing that it wasn¡¯t too large in size, it could be a¡­. ¡°Mr. Darren!¡± ¡°Quackkkkkkk!¡± The Duchess screamed with hands grabbing her temples about to faint but soon regained her composure. She looked flustered as she grabbed onto the hems of her dress tightly. She picked up the mallard which had fainted then dashed towards the lake in a hurry. ¡°Y, Your Ladyship!¡± The Duchess didn¡¯t even explain what had happened before leaving. Viscount Dion stood rooted with the silver cover still in his hand but looked up to see the Duchess¡¯s seat empty. ¡°Uh-ho.¡± It seems that there was no helping it this time. No matter how hard he tried to understand, there was no way this situation could be explained in words. Viscount Dion instinctively turned towards His Majesty. Even His Majesty wouldn¡¯t tolerate such disrespect and ridiculous action¡­. ¡°What are you waiting for? Serve the food.¡± ¡°Brother, please dig in.¡± Rashid casually put down the documents in his hands and took the cup which Tenon offered. Instead, Viscount Dion¡¯s breathing started to shake at the sight of the brother¡¯s normal interaction without any surprise. ¡®¡­Yes, it¡¯s just me being weird.¡¯ There was no way the royalty would make wrong judgments of others. He would just have to set his mindset right himself. After some persuasion and brainwashing, Viscount Dion was about to clear the Duchess¡¯ plate when Rashid looked up. ¡°Leave that alone. She¡¯ll be back soon.¡± *** [Mommy? Mommy!] Oh no, there¡¯s no one around! While Haniel had her head buried and looked back up, her mother and nanny had already left without a trace. She looked around anxiously, but could not see even a slight image of her beautiful mother. [Sobb.] Haniel tried to chase after her mother, but a long strand of grass wrapped around her ankles after taking a few steps out. This wasn¡¯t their house! She was upset at each fact upon realization. The tall grass from the residence that they were living in was holding her down. [Miss Black Swan!] Haniel called out as she held back her tears, hoping that her mother would appear. She had to address her mother as ¡®Miss Black Swan¡¯ outside. But there was another reason why her tears were forcing to fall. Those crimson red eyes that were staring right back at her. Chapter 133 The incoming wind blew into the garden and past the tea table, through His Majesty¡¯s hair. His crimson red eyes spotted through strands of hair made her heart beat faster, and even stop her sobs. [P, please leave!] Haniel tried kicking up a tantrum but there was no way her eldest brother would listen. Clatter. Rashid placed down the cup and stood up from his seat. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Her now reddish nose was all stuffed, making it difficult for her to breathe. If only her mother was here, she would have cleared it for her. Her mother was the only one she missed the most right now. [Mommyyyy!] ¡°¡­Quiet.¡± Haniel tried to run further, but those sharp and long grass hindered her line of sight. She desperately hoped that her eldest brother wouldn¡¯t have seen her but she soon saw a pair of black shoes stop in front of her. She panicked in an instant and fell on her butt. [N, no! He¡¯s here again!] ¡°Tiny.¡± Rashid slowly bent down, and a smile flashed across his face as he thought it was interesting but Haniel had her eyes tight shut as she tried her best to deny reality. [¡­Please go. I¡¯m not Haniel.] ¡°What¡¯s it saying?¡± Rashid wondered as he raised his brows, wondering if the baby white swan actually understood his words, and Haniel slowly turned her head away. As always, Haniel was scared of him and even more so right now. [Sobb.] The dog might have taken pity for Haniel¡¯s situation and started barking beside her. Haniel looked at her ¡®brother¡¯ with hope, but there was no way he would be able to win her eldest brother. Grrrr ¡°Shut up.¡± Whine whine The dog soon lowered its body as it was intimidated by Rashid¡¯s frown. The dog¡¯s tail was even tucked between its legs and avoided Haniel¡¯s eyes with an apologetic look. No matter how much it pitied the young princess, it had to save its own life first. [¡­Sob.] Haniel could only blink her large round eyes when her sobs had calmed down. ¡®I can¡¯t cry! Mommy said I shouldn¡¯t cry!¡¯ Haniel tried to hold back her tears as she watched Rashid¡¯s hand reaching out to her. ¡°So much noise coming from a tiny body.¡± A similar situation happened in the past back when Haniel was still in the palace. How could she help it if her tears had started flowing on its own? That was how much she was afraid of her own brother. As Haniel¡¯s eldest brother continued staring at her with that frown, the exhausted young one felt a tingle coming up her nose, and her quietened sobs had turned into hiccups. [N- no cry. Haniel won¡¯t cry. And I¡¯m not Haniel.] ¡°¡­Reina.¡± [Yeah, I¡¯m Rei¡­] What? Haniel opened her eyes at Rashid¡¯s words before falling into a state of panic. Though it wasn¡¯t her real name, it was still given to her by her mother. ¡®But how did the Emperor brother know of this name?¡¯ He shouldn¡¯t have known about this name. She wanted to tell him not to call her by this name, but she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to say it. Honestly, she didn¡¯t even know what she should tell him. [¡­M- mommy.] ¡°Your mommy isn¡¯t here.¡± He could understand her?! Haniel was going to take a tiny peek but instead opened her eyes wide at his words. She heard a low chuckle but would have never thought that it was from her eldest brother. ¡°Just stay here. Your mother went somewhere else.¡± [Mommyy. Haniel¡¯s mommy!] ¡°¡­I said she¡¯s not here.¡± Rashid slowly extended his hand. Haniel was courageous for a moment upon hearing about her mother but soon shrugged it off. Mr. Darren said before that to pretend dead if they met anyone bad. [¡­Quack. Haniel is dead!] ¡°There¡¯s really nothing you can¡¯t do.¡± [I¡¯m ded.] Haniel answered Rashid¡¯s questions without fail like a baby does as her body stiffens. Worried that her eldest brother would hit her like the old times, she turned her head away immediately. [¡­He¡¯s a meanie if he hits me¡­] ¡°How could I wear this on you if you do that?¡± Haniel had assumed that Rashid would have hit her, but his finger found its way under her head. Though her eldest brother was a scary but a great know-it-all, it felt strangely awkward when his fingers touched her cheeks. She couldn¡¯t really pinpoint it, but it was very much different from when her mother touched her. ¡°¡­Stay still.¡± His actions as he tied the silver ribbon on her felt similar to how her mother had done it. The once breathless and terrified Haniel¡¯s eyes widened at the ribbon tied onto her. [R, ribbon¡­] Chapter 134 unedited ¡°It looks quite suitable for you.¡± Tap, Rashid¡¯s finger lightly brushed Haniel¡¯s cheek. But this time, it wasn¡¯t painful like how she had remembered it to be. Rather, it felt quite ticklish, and Rashid held back his chuckle as he brushed against her other cheek. ¡°You seem to like it.¡± [N, no! I don¡¯t like it!] Haniel fell down again once more. Though her reaction was late, but she remembered what Mr. Darren had said. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be lying though.¡¯ She had found it slightly interesting, but not most of the time. Mr. Darren¡¯s words about her not being able to be a virtuous lady if she lied rang by her ears, and her face turned anxious. [Uh¡­] ¡°What are you upset with this time?¡± Rashid put a hand to his chin while holding back a sigh. Haniel couldn¡¯t overcome the weight of the jewel hung at one end of the ribbon and hit her head heavily, which Rashid then wound it up for her. ¡°Do you not like this?¡± [N, no, that¡¯s not it!] She started chirping back as she had no intentions of lying any longer. Even so, the expression on Rashid¡¯s face hadn¡¯t changed one bit. Instead, he continued to stare intently at Haniel with his hand still supporting his chin. ¡°Alright, if so, I¡¯ll let you have until this part¡­¡± Cut. Rashid made a gesture with his hands like a scissors and grabbed that end of the ribbon. Though she still didn¡¯t like his voice, it wasn¡¯t as detestful as before. [Hmm?] ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give the rest to your mother.¡± *** ¡°Mr. Darrennnnn¡±! I yelled at the top of my lungs, almost ruining my vocal cords. I could feel fire burning at my throat just as the school came into sight. ¡°Mr. Darrn! Where are you!¡± [¡­Cough.] Whilst I was shouting, Selene on the other hand, seemed to be in a huge shock as her beak twitched non-stop. Anyone would think that her husband had died if they saw her state. Her flurried body was shaking, and her head drooped. ¡°Ahh, what should we do! You saw it earlier right? That size and shape, the way it looked after all its feathers were plucked out, and its shiny luster, it definitely looked like someone from our lake¡­¡± [Your Ladyship?] ¡°¡­Mr. Darren?¡± I turned around with the still shaking Selene in my arms. Mr. Darren, with his soft silver feathers shone neatly, was here where he should be. ¡°H, how are you here¡­¡± [Pardon? I came after hearing you call for me so desperately¡­ What is the matter?] Mr. Darren folded back his wings with a slightly flustered look. Now that I had a closer look, the one laid on the table at the Winter Palace had a different build and size. After confirming with my own two eyes that Mr. Darren was well and alive, my legs had given way and I plopped to the ground. ¡°Ahh, what a relief, really.¡± [Just what¡¯s the matter? And why has Ms. Selene fainted?] The kind Mr. Darren expressed his concern towards Selene who was just about to step foot into her grave. However, seeing that he didn¡¯t approach any further, it seems that Selene¡¯s one-sided love would just end at a crush. ¡°Ah¡­ Don¡¯t worry about her. I¡¯ve misunderstood something earlier.¡± [What kind of misunderstanding was it? Are you both all right?] ¡°Of, of course.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to explain that we reacted in this manner after seeing ¡®him¡¯ lay motionless in a grilled form on the table. However, I wasn¡¯t fully relieved just yet. ¡°Um, are there any missing animals from the lake?¡± [Missing animals¡­] ¡°The ones who are cursed. Are there any who suddenly disappeared today or reported missing?¡± [No. I¡¯m not sure about wild animals, but as you know, those who are from the lake don¡¯t venture too far out on their own.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± That¡¯s right. Though I knew about that, it was only now when I heard from Mr. Darren that I felt totally relieved and nodded my head. As per his words, the animals at the lake there were rarely any animals who would venture out of the boundary from the Duke¡¯s residences. It was for the first time I felt relieved that we¡¯re scared of Lania. ¡°Um¡­¡± How did Mr. Darren end up here at the lake? I thought to myself as I stared blankly at him. I heard that Lady Melleo had invited him to the lake so I hadn¡¯t suspect much but I never thought that a handsome looking teacher would appear so randomly. [Your Ladyship, are you alright?] ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Why do you bother? Just be thankful that a handsome looking teacher appeared. I felt my cheeks flush as Mr. Darren tapped his wings on the back on my hand, comforting me. Chapter 135 unedited I shouldn¡¯t be involved with my child¡¯s teacher, but I didn¡¯t want to shake off this feeling either. I was grateful when Selene had fainted at just the right time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr. Darren, for kicking up such a big fuss.¡± [It¡¯s alright. You must have been quite shocked seeing that you¡¯re usually quite composed yourself.] ¡°Ah¡­¡± What a kind tone coming from a teacher. I covered my mouth with one hand, at the same time concealing the blush on my face. However, I startled myself as someone else¡¯s face surfaced in my mind while thinking to myself that if only they possessed at least a quarter of Mr. Darren¡¯s mannerism. My startled reaction had made me unintentionally smack Mr. Darren¡¯s wings away. ¡°S, sweetie! My sweetie!¡± [Your Ladyship, are you possibly looking for Reina?] ¡°Yes. I, I¡¯ll see you again!¡± I picked up Selene in my arms and started climbing up the hill. What kind of mother am I! No matter how much in a hurry I was, I shouldn¡¯t have left her there alone! I have no words if I was turned into a grilled dish instead. ¡°Right, Mr. Darren. Please be careful! Don¡¯t venture out carelessly!¡± I shouted out randomly as the thought popped up in my mind. Though he was safe today, there was no saying when another hunter would decide to hunt him on another day. I then continued on with the climb and kept my eyes on Mr. Darren while all sorts of complicated feelings got tangled within. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous so don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t what?¡± Gasp! He gave me a shock! I was running forward without looking where I was heading. To think that I was fully adapted to his random appearances. ¡°Whew.¡± But since Rashid was here, it meant that Haniel was safe. After feeling relieved with this fact, I lowered my head but my eyes opened wide. [¡­Mommyyy!] ¡°S, sweetie!¡± It was then that I finally looked at the basket held in his hands. Haniel¡¯s sniffling voice made me choke as well. ¡°Sweetie, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± [Mommy, why did you leave Haniel alone. I called for you. Sob.] ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Quick, come into¡­¡± Come to think of it, why was he carrying Haniel? It was my first time seeing such an incompatible combination where Rashid was carrying a basket with a white baby swan in it. Seeing a watering Thanos wouldn¡¯t even give such a sense of incompatibility. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The ideal situation I had hoped for was that this man hadn¡¯t discovered Haniel who was left all alone. Even if he had seen her, I hoped that he would have turned a blind eye, or if that was tough, he wouldn¡¯t have approached her at the very least. I had put all hopes on his indifference¡­. ¡°I won¡¯t throw, hit, or ditch.¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± He looked so cool when he repeated the exact words that I wanted to emphasize to him. My eyes sparkled unconsciously as I looked up to him, and Rashid looked down at me with a cold gaze. ¡°If you treasured your daughter so much, you shouldn¡¯t have left her alone with others. You¡¯re a disappointment.¡± ¡°But you aren¡¯t just anyone.¡± Rashid¡¯s face trembled so very slightly. ¡°¡­Then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Emperor.¡± And Haniel¡¯s eldest brother. Haniel reached out her hands towards me as Rashid hesitated, but instead, Rashid took a step back for the first time. ¡°Say it again.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who¡­ am I to you.¡± Though he had just taken a step back, he was also determined. Regardless of how I tried, I couldn¡¯t take Haniel back. My heart fell since I could relate to his feelings right now. ¡°I won¡¯t return her to you until you answer me¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Will he take Haniel away from me? I knew he was being difficult but I was dumbfounded at that instant and broke into tears. The tears in my eyes felt hot at the thought of him taking Haniel away from me. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Rashid cut me off and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to make you cry.¡± I stared at Rashid¡¯s face blankly as he approached me. While tears were brimming in my eyes, Rashid didn¡¯t seem to be his usual self. His slightly messed-up white hair was similar to his unsettling emotions. Chapter 136 unedited ¡°It¡¯s just that Catherine you¡­¡± ¡°T, thank you. For returning my daughter.¡± Nothing else mattered to me right now as I quickly reached out for my white baby swan. Regardless of what his reasons were, I was thankful if he returned Haniel to me. ¡°Ah¡­¡± My heart was full as soon as I held Haniel in my arms. My brain was able to run normally, me finding back my smile and laughter was all possible because of her. ¡°¡­I¡¯m really grateful. Really, really¡­¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± I felt like a piece of garbage. Rashid¡¯s monotone voice suddenly calmed down. He might not like everything that¡¯s happening now and thus spoke in a deep voice but he kept his usual composure. ¡°¡­Catherine.¡± I wasn¡¯t afraid of him getting angry, yelling at, or threatening me by now since I was used to it, but he didn¡¯t look like he was just purely looking at me. I thought it would be better if he had exploded there and there, but stings in my heart. I should say something to ease the tension, when something else popped into my mind. ¡°I was about to return, but why did Your Majesty come out here? Did you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°Do I have to have something to say to you?¡± ¡°¡­If not?¡± He was asking the obvious. I shook my head but had my eyes back on Haniel. I was hurt seeing that Haniel had her head buried in the basket, and couldn¡¯t see her face. Rashid¡¯s indifference voice that sounded above my head like the wind. ¡°I heard that the hunting competition in the Northern Lands will commence soon¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the hunting competition? I dislike those events.¡± ¡°¡­You dislike them?¡± ¡°Yes, and truthfully, the animals are innocent. If it¡¯s for our survival, then there¡¯s no choice but its purely for entertainment, that¡¯s quite cruel¡­ They¡¯re quite pitiful.¡± I replied hesitantly with whatever came to mind, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of what I had just said either. However, Rashid seemed have something else in mind as he let out a light sigh. ¡°Not just the hunting compeition, there¡¯s also the banquet and parties after that¡­¡± ¡°I hate them even more. Your Majesty had seen it the other day too. The looks everyone had when I appeared.¡± Rashid remained silent at my reply. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that to earn your pity. I¡¯m really content with my situation right now, look.¡± I smiled as I fluffed up the once again puffy feathers on Haniel¡¯s cheeks. However, it made my heart sting when I saw the subtle expression on Rashid¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t asking if I actually liked or disliked the event, but I kept forgetting about my situation. ¡°Ah, if Your Majesty has to attend for some reason¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I dislike those events too.¡± It couldn¡¯t get any more true than this as the strict Rashid cut me off like that. But he seemed to have thought that this wasn¡¯t persuasive enough that he even gestured with his chin. ¡°I hate and despise it. It¡¯s savage and disgusting.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± There¡¯s no need to go to that extent. But a tingling feeling crept up from within as I heard those words. This must be due to my guilt, right? I put a smile back on my face as I hurriedly placed the still shivering Haniel back in her basket. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯ve invited us¡­ Thanks for sending us back here. We¡¯ll take our leave now.¡± Was he feeling apologetic for his actions earlier while neglecting Haniel? I couldn¡¯t get used to him being all quiet and serious like that. Seeing how he was hesitating right now was a good opportunity to part ways. As I was about to turn around to leave, Rashid clutched the end of my dress, ¡°Wait.¡± It didn¡¯t mean that everything froze when he had stopped there. ¡°¡­Who is Darren?¡± *** ¡°You said so earlier. Something about Mr. Darren.¡± ¡°¡­W, what?¡± I tried to avoid this topic but he still managed to come at me like this. When did he hear me? His hearing must be great. It was tough for me to fool him today as his eyes looked extremely sharp. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it that man¡¯s name?¡± ¡°T, that man¡¯s name?¡± I tilted my head instinctively upon hearing words that didn¡¯t have anything to do with me from him. But Rashid wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend. I definitely heard the name Darren. Regardless of who he was¡­¡± ¡°No. Why would there be any other man¡­¡± I denied. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He questioned in disbelief. Chapter 137 unedited After gaining back his trust, I quickly placed Selene in the basket along with Haniel. The kids were restless and seeing how there was no other emergency rescue team, ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ll be taking my leave. And Mr., no. Darren is actually a white swan.¡± ¡°¡­White swan?¡± Whether he¡¯s a man or a bird, he¡¯s still a bastard. Rashid returned to normal after mumbling fiercely under his breath. I made myself clear once more in case he had further misunderstandings. ¡°Yes, so accurately speaking, it¡¯s just a male.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s¡­ What? A male?¡± The twisted expression returned to his once calm face. He followed behind, with the word disgusted written all over his face. ¡°Could he be your son then?¡± ¡°Son? No way, Darren is¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather he was your son!¡± Wow, surprisingly, I wasn¡¯t fazed at all by now. Instead, I was surprised at how calm I was facing his constant mood swings. Rashid would have unsheathed his sword while having a meal if he was his usual self. I approached him and shook my head, signaling him to stop. ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry. Regardless of their gender, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be on their side.¡± ¡°You pick sides?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you concerned about that right now?¡± ¡°¡­You-¡± Rashid¡¯s eyes were drained of energy as he seemed to be as frustrated as I was. It felt like we were fools as we stood there looking at each other blankly. I wondered how to break this awkward silence just when Haniel¡¯s head peeked out from the basket. [Mommyy.] ¡°Yes?¡± [Mommy, I¡­] Haniel¡¯s eyes were wide open as if she had something to say. She had the habit of beating around the bush whenever she had something to show. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She¡¯s just as cute as she was. Her tail, wings, beak, and those eyes¡­. ¡°Oh my goodness, what¡¯s this!¡± [¡­Umm.] I finally discovered the white ribbon on her head, and Haniel turned away, playing innocent. But it showed the ribbon clearly. ¡°You didn¡¯t have this earlier! Who gave you this? Oh my.¡± I picked up one end of the ribbon, which had a piece of jewel attached to it, and swallowed it. It felt soft, like a certain someone¡¯s hair, but it was different compared to the ribbons we had received before. Haniel put out her beak more, it didn¡¯t seem like she disliked the ribbon. ¡°Oh, it must have been your third brother!¡± I had failed both her eldest and fourth brothers from my list of Haniel¡¯s guardians and had naturally thought of her third brother first. Her third brother, Peyton, was the most normal-looking one amongst them. ¡°Yes, your third brother is the most¡­¡± [N, no.] The white ribbon on Haniel¡¯s head shook along with her as she replied. I didn¡¯t have to wait for Haniel¡¯s correction since I could feel a certain someone¡¯s death glare shooting at me as my face turned red. ¡°Um¡­ Then¡­ could that be your fourth brother?¡± ¡°Stop it if you¡¯re doing this on purpose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting boring.¡± Rashid¡¯s low and booming voice emphasized my actions once more. I had never thought that he would detest my shocked facade and start growling so openly at the entrance of my residence. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know how you thought of me but¡­¡± ¡°Did Your Majesty really give this to her?¡± I held Haniel up to his line of sight and looked at him with wide opened eyes. Based on my experience, even if Rashid was staring at the person before him, he had trouble responding to them and would even stutter at times. ¡°Your Majesty tied this ribbon for her?¡± ¡°¡­Who would have done it otherwise?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tenon being the ignorant guy he is, only knew how to wield his sword, and Peyton has lived his entire life in the palace, so he wouldn¡¯t know how the world went round.¡± Anyone else who heard this might think he was an extremely considerate person and knew very well about worldly affairs, but this was the most ordinary version of Rashid I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± It seems that I could reinstate this nominee to his original position then? At the delightful thought of Haniel¡¯s list of guardians potentially increasing, my eyes smiled, similar to a crescent moon. As long as he had a normal personality, there was no other better nominee than her Emperor brother. Chapter 138 unedited ¡°Catherine, you might realize as you continue observing¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty should be more observant instead!¡± Here! Excited as I was, I quickly took a seat and put Haniel down. Rashid swept back his hair in vain as he looked like he was about to say something important, but couldn¡¯t ignore the look in my eyes as he met mine. ¡°¡­.¡± Sweetie, quick! Thinking that this was the right time, I patted Haniel¡¯s tail. You promised mommy! Haniel must have remembered it as she shyly swayed her body side to side instead of staring at me wide-eyed. ¡°Haniel, if you ever find out that your eldest brother didn¡¯t do it intentionally¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re up to but let¡¯s get up¡­¡± ¡°Please wait. Shh.¡± I put a finger to my lips and Rashid kept quiet in frustration. Instead, his shadow was slowly casting upon both Haniel and my heads. [¡­Mommy.] Haniel didn¡¯t cower in fear like before. Quick! You can do it! I was growing impatient while hoping Haniel would quickly show what she had prepared for Rashid before he started showing his frustrations. [¡­Hing.] Her black beak dawdled, alternating between the sky and the ground. Even my hands were sweating as the nonchalant Rashid watched closely. ¡°Now, quickly¡­¡± Tap tap¡­ tap. After taking two steps forward, Haniel finally took one more step towards him. Oh my. As I covered my mouth in surprise, Rashid¡¯s head bent down further. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to ask further, but just what am I supposed to be looking at¡­.¡± ¡°Your Majesty! You saw that, didn¡¯t you!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You saw it!¡± Three steps, she took three steps towards you! I stood up quickly, biting my lips as tears were forcing out of my eyes, but Rashid just slowly blinked. Still looking confused, I quickly pointed at Haniel. ¡°Ah, I thought she had made great improvements since the last time you met. Of course Your Majesty has no interest in such details so you wouldn¡¯t be aware.¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± I don¡¯t think you did. ¡°I definitely saw it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whatever you said¡­ earlier.¡± Hmm. Even though I narrowed my eyes at him, Rashid looked up calmly. Besides his neck which had turned slightly red, he looked as if he had known everything that was happening in this world. ¡°What¡¯s with that arrogant look? Did you think that I wasn¡¯t aware?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± You must have known. Rashid smiled, as he too, knew that I couldn¡¯t spit on a smiling face. I looked down, about to compliment Haniel for her courageous act, to find her standing on my feet. [Mommy, I did it! Haniel did all of it!] ¡°¡­Y, yes.¡± Though she did it in a flash as if completing a mission, she still did it. I was more than relieved to see her take a step forward if this meant that she could get closer to her brother. I couldn¡¯t help but turn around to show how proud I was to Rashid and wanted some sort of reaction from him. ¡°Look, she¡¯s so excited about the ribbon¡­ Um.¡± I went ahead of myself again. The pearls on my hair pin dropped at the impact of me suddenly lifting up my head. Though the pin¡¯s joint was originally weak to begin with, I never expected it to show its weakness before Rashid. But, oh well. It wasn¡¯t precious to me, nor did I have to show my glam side to him. I could just slowly pin it back after showing off how great my dear Haniel was and it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue¡­. ¡°Y, your Majesty!¡± ¡°¡­Go on.¡± Before I could put Haniel down, Rashid took action before me. I had tried to turn away as I recalled the previous incident but this time, our heads bumped into each other first. Click. I felt a slight shock from his hand as he fixed the pin for me. ¡°¡­Uh as I was saying, my daughter originally took a step towards you¡­ but this time.¡± ¡°Yes, she took three steps.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go on.¡± Even after fixing up my pin, his hand stayed there for a while. Thinking that his hands had been withdrawn, his deep voice and words left a deep impression. ¡°I¡¯m always listening.¡± Chapter 139 unedited [Whew. You didn¡¯t know how surprised I was! I thought we would have gone to heaven at this rate!] Quack quack, Selene said she would only come back to her senses after downing a bowl of hot soup, warming up her stiffened body as she threw her wings back. It was only after she had turned her neck and wings simultaneously that she returned to her talkative self. [My vision turned white after seeing that whole grilled bird on the table, ahh.] Recalling that scene made Selene almost tear from her tearless eyes as she flapped her wings by them. [Sobb. If I had known, I would have at least confessed once. How long would one live anyway? I should live without regrets in this¡­ But what¡¯s wrong with the both of you?] Selene finally sensed the weird tension in the air after filming her own monologue and turned towards us. Haniel and I lay in the middle of the living room beside each other, feeling as though we had been stripped naked from our feathers, very much like that grilled bird. [Mommy, Haniel can¡¯t sleep.] ¡°¡­Yeah, mommy too.¡± Whew, as I flipped on my side, Haniel followed me and struggled as she flipped to her side. Uneasiness crept all over our bodies as the face of a certain man surfaced in our minds. [Mommyyy, Emperor brother, he.] ¡°Yeah, your Emperor brother.¡± [¡­.] Sharp breath. Neither of us continued our sentences. Haniel touched the ribbon tied on her head, and I touched the pin on mine. ¡®What was he trying to do.¡¯ I should be thankful that he had changed to be more humane but this was getting awkward. Just like when he touched my cheeks, such reckless and meaningless actions make me¡­. ¡®Wait, do they really mean nothing?¡¯ ¡°Ridiculous!¡± That made me feel even more uneasy and sat up immediately. If he¡¯s a tyrant, he should act like one. He¡¯s not even the male protagonist, was he allowed to do ¡®whatever¡¯ he likes? It shouldn¡¯t, even if it meant anything. I sat back down with a hand supporting my chin as I entertained the complicated feeling. [Hng! Nooo!] Haniel too, followed me, albeit a while later. Of course, her concerns were much simpler as compared to mine. Seeing her torn over whether to undo the ribbon on her head, I fanned to cool down her head before it could explode. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can keep it on.¡± [B, but. Emperor brother, he.] ¡°He wasn¡¯t strangling you. He didn¡¯t poison you either.¡± [¡­Really?] Laughter soon found its way back on her small face, and Haniel stood up with confidence. Though she frowned slightly at the sparkly jewel hanging on one end of the ribbon, she skipped happily as she dragged it along the floor, happy to hear the sound it makes. [Mommy, look! It sounds pretty!] ¡°Yeah, our princess is really pretty!¡± [His Majesty is generous in weird aspects, giving a young child such an expensive gift.] But Selene continued muttering under her breath, still finding it weird. It was indeed an exorbitant gift for a child, but I had thought differently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If Haniel was treated well in the palace, she should be given things like that all the time.¡± Of course, she must continue the same standard of living in the future as well. As I watched Haniel enjoy the things I couldn¡¯t give her, it made me bitter and worried. The young and sensitive Haniel came running towards me as she saw the look on my face and shook her head. [I¡¯ll give this to mommy.] ¡°Hmm? Why me?¡± I shook my hands in refusal as she gestured to take the ribbon off from her head. Who would refuse such a huge and beautiful jewel? However, it was never mine, to begin with, thus I¡¯ve decided to not be greedy over that. I¡¯ve also been returning gifts sent my way when others found out how close I was getting with His Majesty. I¡¯ve learned from my past life that with greed comes great disappointments. Had I taken the child¡¯s items by force and shown it off, his reaction would be¡­. ¡°Ugh, no.¡± He would just raise his eyes sharply regardless if it was a feather accessory or a pearl pin. I might have become accustomed to most things, but I was still human, and I could still be hurt from such issues like, ¡®because of this man.¡¯ ¡°This is Haniel¡¯s, His Majesty personally tied the ribbon on you.¡± [Nooo. This is Haniel¡¯s, and this is mommy¡¯s.] ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± [Yeah, this is Haniel¡¯s. And this is mommy¡¯s.] This child! Haniel sat down on the ground with a thud, dizzy from pointing at back and forth on the same ribbon with her beak. What a cutie. Chapter 140 Afraid that she would get motion sickness if I had pushed her to explain further, I quickly got Selene to send her out. ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep, why don¡¯t you do some night swimming? The school is holding a swimming exam right?¡± [Yeah, Haniel taking exam!] Exams are the scariest! Haniel¡¯s wings began shivering in fear instinctively and very much like kids her age, Haniel would most likely follow everything her friends were doing. It was almost time for me to turn into a black swan, and I took the chance to give Haniel private lessons as I sent her out with Selene. ¡°Mommy will finish preparing dinner before heading out. Haniel, go ahead with the nanny first.¡± [Food?] ¡°Yes, I have to soak your fish jerky and then boil it before my transformation so that you can eat.¡± I¡¯ve been out of my mind after meeting Rashid, but usually, this was the busiest time in my day. It didn¡¯t matter whether I was in my human state or swan state when I was alone, but now that I was raising Haniel, there were more things that required me to be in my human form to complete. ¡°Shall we start?¡± I gave myself a loud clap after sending out Haniel and Selene. I¡¯ve decided to focus only on the things I had to do today and throw out all the uneasiness in my heart. Don¡¯t forget! Stand unwaveringly! I shouted my new life motto and headed towards the cabinet. I should start with flipping over the dried fish jerky. My head turned around the moment I opened the cabinet door. ¡°Hmm?¡± Did they return already? I sensed someone by the door and headed to the porch. I thought the sound was louder for a duck and swan to make, but I shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions, seeing how the sound of my own heartbeat had become louder after leaving His Majesty. I flung the door open as if nothing had happened. ¡°Why, did you leave something-¡± ¡°Oh my. Mother, why are you home?¡± A ringing voice that shouldn¡¯t be heard around this area greeted me brightly. I wasn¡¯t usually surprised by Lania¡¯s unexpected visit, but it was different this time. Behind her were two heads peeking out and one of them broke into wails after seeing me. ¡°Ahh, my eldest daughter Catherine! How have you been doing?¡± * * * ¡°Oh, mother. Are you feeling awkward after not having met your family for some time?¡± Lania let out a laid-back chuckle as she brought along a tea table as if it was her own house. Though it was indeed her house, she hadn¡¯t bothered visiting me at my living quarters much ever since I moved here. It wasn¡¯t out of consideration, but rather, she felt irksome from having to live in the same place with me. ¡°Mother, please say something.¡± ¡°Yes, Catherine. You have no idea how much we have missed you.¡± The lady, whom I couldn¡¯t find a single trace of similarity between us, took her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes. So, she was my stepmother. She grew anxious and pinched her companions who were watching her at the side. ¡°What are you doing! Go on, greet your eldest sister!¡± ¡°Mom, seriously.¡± Obviously dragged along by force, but the greedy look in their eyes as they scanned the area were, of course, my step siblings. Instead of being shy while meeting my family for the first time, the look in Lania¡¯s eyes fixated on me observing my every reaction, treading on my nerves. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mother? Am I possibly in the way of your warm family reunion by staying here?¡± ¡°O- of course not, Your Lady!¡± ¡°We¡¯re extremely honored to have met Your Lady here!¡± Seeing how my siblings drop down on their knees at Lania¡¯s comment made me realize how huge her influence was in the Northern Lands. Lania, who knew this fact through and through, lightly waved her hand and flashed a bright smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need to act this way. I¡¯m your daughter, so we¡¯re still considered to be relatives.¡± ¡°I¡¯m deeply honored. I¡¯ve always been worried ever since sending off my uncouth daughter.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be, I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± ¡°I agree, you didn¡¯t have to.¡± She subtly hinted at her eldest daughter who was stopping her family. ¡°C- Catherine?¡± Well, she shouldn¡¯t have poisoned them openly, right? I finally picked up the cup before me and stared straight at Lania. My words shook my stepmother and step-siblings greatly as their faces turned dark. ¡°H- how could you say that! Even if you¡¯ve gone askew, you shouldn¡¯t insult your family whom you haven¡¯t met in ages!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you insulting me since you¡¯re finally visiting after so long with the motive of reaping some benefits off of me?¡± ¡°Catherine!¡± ¡°Address me as Duchess.¡± ¡°After selling me off like that, did you perhaps forget your place as well?¡± I drank the fragrant tea as I smiled at my stepmother. There was no way they could win over Lania, who was doing nothing but watch for the entire time no matter how much of a fuss they kicked up. Chapter 141 unedited ¡°Oh my, mother. I understand that you¡¯re shocked to meet your family out of the blue, but . . .¡± ¡°Why should I be?¡± I¡¯ve seen more than enough of these humans in this novel. It would have been a pleasure to meet them . . . aside from the fact that they were m family. A stepmother and stepsister, and me, as a stepmother once more. It wasn¡¯t common to have such relations in families regardless of how much one would try to make it happen for generations. Lania raised her eyebrows as I looked up from the silver cup. ¡°I heard that mother has been busy recently, but you seem to be more relaxed than I had expected.¡± ¡°Um, speaking of which . . .¡± Mmm, this stepmother was quite tactless. Let¡¯s see what she has to say. She leaned lazily into her chair, and expected, her answer was packed with punch. ¡°Catherine, you know of our family¡¯s situation . . . After your father passed, it¡¯s just us four left . . .¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°. . . Catherine.¡± ¡°I had meant to say that when you sold your daughter to marry a dying man . . .¡± Lania, I apologize for cursing your father. I nodded slightly towards Lania momentarily, due to formalities. ¡°. . . isn¡¯t it the same as having abandoned me?¡± ¡°No, how could you say that? For someone like you to marry Duke Evendell? Are you kidding me? Such honor . . .¡± ¡°If it was that honorable, you should have sent your own daughter instead. I¡¯m still willing to give away this position.¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll break your wrist if you ask for any more favors from me.¡± I chuckled and mimicked breaking her wrist by shaking my own, showing that it wasn¡¯t just a verbal warning. But the characteristics of these people was that they did not know when to stop until you said it straight to their faces. ¡°I have no money to spare or give, no items or positions, so don¡¯t waste your effort on me and leave. Go ahead and curse me for being heartless all you want; I¡¯ll let you do it.¡± ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t you being too agitated?¡± ¡°Are you disappointed in me then, daughter?¡± I responded, with the latter remaining silent. ¡°It¡¯s no use threatening me like this.¡± Just get straight to the point. I knew what she was planning when Lania brought them all the way here to find me. While she couldn¡¯t do anything to me, she wouldn¡¯t leave me be. Thus she wanted to intimidate me by bringing my family over. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say . . .¡± ¡°I should enlighten you then. Unfortunately, I have no interest in whatever happens to these people. I don¡¯t care if you seal their mouths with money, cut off their tongues, curse them with magic, or whatever other tricks you have up your sleeves. They have nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°But still, if you have decided what you want to do with them, do let me know. I would very much love to see what their ending is after selling off their daughter.¡± There¡¯s something else I¡¯m grateful to Rashid for. After experiencing almost every bizarre situation with him, I have been trained to toughen my heart and not stutter, even with Lania standing before me. I even thought that this was quite manageable, well, if there was nothing else for me to lose. ¡°Oh my. Since Mother has said so, I shouldn¡¯t hide it either.¡± Soldiers came marching into the room as Lania chuckled and raised her free hand. I might not know who these soldiers are, but for them to avoid getting cursed by Lania must mean that they aren¡¯t any decent men either. ¡°Escort them out.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°Hey, hey!¡± A soft-spoken order from Lania had those who were just standing tall fall into total loss and dragged out of the room. Unlike Lania, they seemed to be more naive than they looked, seeing how dumbfounded with eyes blinking as they were being dragged out the door. ¡°. . . Catherine.¡± ¡°You look more heartless than I had expected. They¡¯re your family after all.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re my family now.¡± I emptied the last cup and smiled brightly in response. One might ask if I really like her, but she would have been ecstatic, had I trembled in fear. If there were something she wanted, she would have made it possible no matter what, so there was no need for me to waste so much energy on dealing with her. ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, I will be on my best behavior, so there¡¯s no need for you to be anxious or waste extra effort on me.¡± ¡°How dare you . . .¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? You¡¯ll be the one suffering if this goes on . . .¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chapter 142 unedited Lania¡¯s smile turned cold as if we were back to the moment right before I was cursed. Lania smiled, satisfied, as I looked down instinctively while anxiousness filled me. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if you¡¯d say that again when you¡¯ve seen that.¡± The doors opened once more at her order. Bring it on. Though I did not wish to play along with Lania¡¯s tune, when I saw the white fur animal caught in Rebecca¡¯s hand, anger started brewing from within me. [Hnng. M, mommyyyy!] *** [Mommy, mommyyyy!] I then realized that I couldn¡¯t let out any screams even if my mind had turned blank. Despite being unable to struggle even in Rebecca¡¯s hands, that tiny body was soon drained of energy. ¡°Let go immediately!¡± ¡°You mean this thing?¡± Rebecca smirked, but not as bad compared to her older sister. She grabbed Haniel by the neck like how a servant would, and shook hard. The sound of the jewel which they were still complimenting about a while back, sounded terrifying. ¡°Back off! I said, put her down!¡± ¡°Lania, look. I was right!¡± ¡°Even the jewel on it, it¡¯s the same jewel I saw in town. I was doubtful at first, but I¡¯m definitely right! His Majesty must have bought it . . .¡± ¡°Will you shut it just for a moment, Rebecca?¡± Lania¡¯s voice was quiet, like the sound of water pouring while in a small living room, as she remained seated at the tea-table. Rebecca sht]ut her mouth but glared at me in turn, seemingly about to direct her anger toward me instead. ¡°This is all your fault! I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯ve been doing with His Majesty all this while . . .¡± ¡°. . . It¡¯s my last warning. Put it down.¡± ¡°What? Are you worried about this little bird even in this situation? Ha!¡± Rebecca scoffed speechlessly at me, cutting her off mid-way. But I never expected her to act accordingly. She stopped laughing and grabbed Haniel tighter by the neck then shook her even harder in my direction. Angered, I strode over towards her. ¡°How dare you . . . Ackkkk!¡± Slap! Rebecca stumbled towards the fireplace after being slapped. She had both hands lightly patting her cheek as if it was on fire, while I quickly grabbed Haniel as she fell. The tiny body froze and it felt as if her small heart had shattered. [M, m, mommy.] ¡°. . . Kyaaaa!¡± Rebecca yelled belatedly upon realizing that she had been slapped instead, and Haniel¡¯s groan followed after. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± She dashed towards me and grabbed me by the collar, whilst I glared right back at her. ¡°Scram. This is my last warning.¡± ¡°. . . How dare you!¡± ¡°Know that it¡¯ll be the end of you the moment you lay even one of those fingers on her.¡± ¡°You dare to lie!¡± ¡°Not me, I¡¯m warning your sister over there.¡± About to slap me, Rebecca¡¯s hand stopped hesitantly mid-air. She had intuitive trauma towards her own sister. I watched the ridiculous act of hers as she turned around and faced Lania. ¡°Yes, it seems that you¡¯re right, Rebecca.¡± ¡°Lania? Are you siding with her right now?¡± She shook her head elegantly, implying to stop. But the situation wasn¡¯t looking good for me as Lania continued smiling. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how important this hostage is, so I won¡¯t end it so easily.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so, mother?¡± Lania stood up and took a step towards me, as if seeking my agreement. I covered Haniel¡¯s eyes, stopping her from seeing Lania¡¯s evil smirk but her eyes soon laid on my trembling fingers. ¡°You were acting so cold towards your own family yet clung so tightly to a white baby swan, this isn¡¯t like you, mother.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± ¡°Well . . . I¡¯m just warning you, to conduct yourself properly.¡± With arms crossed on her chest, Lania lifted her head crookedly before me. ¡°You¡¯ve been hanging out with His Majesty often these days. Isn¡¯t it better to stop all these unnecessary efforts early?¡± ¡°Unnecessary efforts?¡± ¡°That would be up to the false ideas pictured by a broken widow.¡± Lania¡¯s dazzling smirk disappeared as she laid her eyes on the jewel sitting on my finger. I might be less educated about jewels but this piece of jewel seemed quite precious. ¡°You, a shameless widow trying to make moves on His Majesty . . . You¡¯d better lay low for the rest of your life. Get it?¡± ¡°I would love to do that, more than anyone else.¡± ¡°But His Majesty should be the one to let go of me first.¡± I turned expressionless instantly as I did not have any more energy to keep up the smile on my face, but that seemed to have angered Lania more than ever. Chapter 143 I pointed out the reality I knew to Lania, as a noble lady, who had already thrown all of her grace out the window. ¡°Lania, there are reasons for being a coward. If you want to cling onto a man, do it in front of him. Don¡¯t threaten me behind his back like that.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m a coward?¡± Lania¡¯s cackling filled the entire room, while Rebecca retreated, and her hands were now covering her ears instead. Lania then reached out to me as soon as she stopped that horrifying cackling. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll become more than a coward. Give it to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why, that precious hostage, of course. You¡¯ve been acting suspiciously ever since you got your hands on that white baby swan. I could only be grateful for you pouring all your emotions into this little one since no one else here is worthy of them. Hand it over!¡± Her fingers which were as heartless as herself turned ferocious and were about to grab ahold of Haniel. ¡°Hand it over right now. How do you expect me to trust someone as vulgar as you?¡± ¡°. . . You¡¯re determined to take my bird away from me?¡± ¡°I have to have collateral so that you won¡¯t do anything unnecessary. If you spoke recklessly before His Majesty one more time, I¡¯ll snap that neck in an instant.¡± Sweetie, I hope you didn¡¯t hear this. That was all I¡¯m asking for. Bones sprouted through the gaps from my grasp that were covering Haniel¡¯s head. Blood seemed to trickle from my heart as Lania¡¯s words rang in my head. ¡°Hand it over when I¡¯m asking nicely. It¡¯ll be that bird you treasure getting hurt no matter how hard you try.¡± ¡°Will His Majesty sit by and do nothing?¡± ¡°. . . What?¡± Lania threw back her head and cackled once more. ¡°I suppose you might have thought you¡¯re someone important after hanging out with His Majesty so much, but how absurd! He¡¯s a heartless man who wouldn¡¯t even bat an eyelid even if hundreds of thousands of soldiers died, so why would he care about a bird like that?¡± ¡°So you think you know His Majesty very well?¡± ¡°More than I do?¡± I slowly lifted my hands off Haniel¡¯s head. Something flashed across Lania¡¯s blue eyes, but it wasn¡¯t because of Haniel. ¡°This ribbon here is tied on personally by His Majesty himself,¡± I said, as I showed her the silver ribbon. She knew more than anyone else that I wasn¡¯t well off to afford something like that, thus she couldn¡¯t deny it so easily. ¡°He tied it on, thinking that it¡¯s suitable for it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking me to believe that?¡± ¡°You can ask His Majesty yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lania continued staring at me. ¡°You can go with you to ask if he really did tie this ribbon and jewel on it personally. We¡¯d know the answer immediately and see who that ¡®heartless and vile¡¯ man would get rid of.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear that you wouldn¡¯t have to worry if you didn¡¯t provoke me, and have done so countless times at that.¡± I covered the exhausted Haniel¡¯s head once more. The house was gigantic, but there was no space for a young child like her to put her guard down. It was the first time ever that I felt sick and tired of this place so much that I wanted to escape. ¡°Get out immediately if you¡¯ve understood.¡± ¡°You should be the one lying low instead. Don¡¯t forget your place and keep your mouth shut.¡± I felt her deep resolve to push me till the end with those blue eyes glaring right at me. Lania¡¯s white knuckles turned red after opening her tightly clenched fists. ¡°Catherine, you¡¯ll definitely be regretting running your mouth like this today in the near future.¡± ¡°Are you going to continue?¡± I was deeply regretting my decision of being easily satisfied and putting up with all of this from the start of my life here in this world. Try me. Even the pouting Rebecca could only look at me speechless and gulped. ¡°You¡¯re acting up like that with the trust you have in His Majesty alone?¡± ¡°Haa . . . In conclusion, it¡¯s all about that man.¡± I chuckled at the realization, not expecting any kind of reaction from Lania. ¡°To think that the aloof noble lady¡¯s end goal was just a man without a care of what¡¯s going on in the world . . . You should know that there are things much more important in this world.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°L- Lania. Stop it!¡± The situation had turned catastrophic such that Rebecca had to take the initiative to drag Lania away. There was nothing more to add on seeing how Rebecca was the calm one in this situation. I flung the door open and watched as the sisters ran off. ¡°. . . Lania, it¡¯s because you¡¯re always acting like this . . .¡± The mumbling lips didn¡¯t feel like my own. Chapter 144 unedited I wrapped the ribbon once around my finger and the slippery feeling ran along with it. ¡°It¡¯s making me curious about what she likes and how much she likes it.¡± * * * ¡°Your Majesty, what should we do about the hunting competition?¡± Viscount Dion asked for Rashid¡¯s opinion as he sat in the center of the gigantic hall. Although he was aware that Rashid would not be satisfied with such issues, considering Rashid¡¯s reaction previously, as the royal villa¡¯s manager, he had to fully comprehend His Majesty¡¯s intentions. ¡°Aren¡¯t there still a few days left?¡± ¡°The hunting festival in the Northern Lands marks the beginning of their society debut. Though the former Majesty¡¯s mourning period had ended, it has yet been a full year since the Northern Lands¡¯ former Duke, His Excellency¡¯s death; you could say that they¡¯re still in commemoration.¡± ¡°. . . That¡¯s fine, then.¡± He mumbled in a low tone, seemingly unsatisfied. But since Viscount Dion wasn¡¯t in the right position and person to probe further, he could only reveal his own opinion. ¡°Since there is no law on a fixed commemoration period, it was up to Her Ladyship to decide. If Your Majesty were to allow the commencement of the debutantes, that would bring the end of the commemoration period at once.¡± ¡°Me . . .?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s nothing more definitive than Your Majesty¡¯s orders, similar to how Your Majesty had attended the banquet with just a few days left for the former Emperor¡¯s mourning period. As the only ruler of the empire and God¡¯s representative, after expressing his will, no one else would be able to extend the commemoration period in the Northern Lands.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± His facial expression didn¡¯t look too bad. With his fingers clasped, Rashid leaned back into his chair, implying that he was quite satisfied with this situation. ¡°What about the banquet?¡± ¡°Her Lady has been organizing them all these while, but since Your Majesty is now residing in the royal villa, it should be held here instead. But since Her Majesty, the Queen isn¡¯t around anymore . . . Anyway, if Your Majesty is hosting it, all preparations for the banquet and seating arrangements will be in accordance with the usual practice . . .¡± ¡°Forget it. Let me just ask you one thing.¡± ¡°. . . What is it?¡± ¡°Does that mean that no one will be able to appear in mourning clothes if I were to host this banquet?¡± The question was random and bizarre, but its answer was obvious. Rashid¡¯s smile grew even though Viscount Dion had responded late. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± ¡°If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll make preparations for the banquet now. Time is slightly tight if we want to show the royalty¡¯s dignity but since there are only a few more days until the hunting festival . . .¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t do it,¡± Rashid declared. ¡°I won¡¯t host something so barbaric.¡± To think that Viscount Dion would hear the word barbaric coming from His Majesty¡¯s mouth. It might sound like he was joking, but it wasn¡¯t for laughs. Moreover, the underlying meaning was so adamant that Viscount Dion could only conceal his trembles and accept his orders. ¡°I- if that¡¯s the case, we should cancel the event. Well, there¡¯s no need for Your Majesty to declare the end of the Northern Lands¡¯ commemoration period too. Your Majesty can hold an even grandiose banquet when you return . . .¡± ¡°Why should I return?¡± ¡°. . . Your Majesty . . .¡± ¡°According to my knowledge, this land is under my reign as well.¡± Tap. The dull sound from a single tap on the armrest made Viscount Dion gulp. It had been a while since Rashid acted so rashly after the Duchess¡¯ visit. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Of course, since the entire continent is under the reigns of Your Majesty, the Northern Lands too . . .¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The stammering Viscount Dion who was making up excuses turned around when he was interrupted by a shout from behind. The person who just interrupted them was enough to throw them into chaos, much less thanking them for breaking this awkward situation. ¡°. . . Catherine.¡± ¡°Uh . . .¡± Though Catherine entered in high spirits looking for Rashid without making any appointment, she began stuttering and locked her eyes on him, especially when he called out her name. ¡°I apologize for showing up out of the blue . . .¡± ¡°Well, when have you not shown up out of the blue?¡± Viscount Dion¡¯s doubts if Rashid¡¯s earlier words were meant as a joke had been corrected. That vague smile on his face, and the fingers placed on his lips. This was the actual joke. ¡°So, what is the issue this time?¡± A sigh. ¡°Um . . .¡± Catherine then looked at Peyton, who had guided her into the hall. Rashid¡¯s joke came to an end as Prince Peyton gave a gentlemanly smile. ¡°Tell me.¡± That sudden change in Rashid¡¯s tone was directed toward the Duchess once more. Chapter 145 Feeling slightly awkward, Catherine tucked her hair behind her ear. Rashid rid himself of his laid-back posture and sat up straight. ¡°Catherine.¡± ¡°The banquet I had mentioned before, and the hunting festival,¡± Catherine paused before continuing, ¡°May I follow Your Majesty to the event, if it is held?¡± Her voice was filled with anxiousness as she went behind her words. She reiterated herself, seemingly not wanting to back off from it. ¡°I know that it¡¯s ridiculous of me to bring this up again . . .¡± ¡°Yes, it is ridiculous.¡± Rashid¡¯s cold tone made the Duchess let out a soft sigh and lowered her head. Her slightly depressed expression made Peyton fidget. He tried to console the Duchess but Rashid was there. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll hear you out, though I¡¯m unsure what¡¯s the reason for this request.¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty doesn¡¯t have to do this if it¡¯s uncomfortable for you.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± He didn¡¯t specify exactly who should leave, but everyone in the hall knew. His Majesty¡¯s ice-cold expression and tone, along with the Duchess¡¯s regretful look. It was soon a common sight at the royal villa, but it felt different this time. ¡°Right, why are you still here?¡± The serious-looking Rashid suddenly turned toward Viscount Dion. Pardon? Viscount Dion flusteredly looked up at Rashid, who continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say time was tight? Why aren¡¯t you working on the preparations?¡± * * * [His Majesty really let you attend the hunting festival? Really?] Selene asked in disbelief. ¡°Yeah, he did,¡± I replied to her rhetorical question. I recounted the entire conversation I had with Rashid as soon as I arrived home. He wasn¡¯t the type to agree so readily, but I was thankful that he allowed my attendance. ¡°This is too sudden . . . Hoo. You really catch me by surprise every time.¡± Rashid sighed, seemingly in a tight spot. ¡°I see. Please forget that I asked. I¡¯ll be taking my leave, so Your Majesty should also¡ª¡± I was about to excuse myself when he continued, ¡°I guess there¡¯s no choice then. You may do so.¡± ¡°. . . Really?¡± I asked, surprised at his decision. ¡°If I stopped you here, there¡¯s no knowing how many more others you¡¯d inconvenience going forward,¡± Rashid stated. I was speechless back then. What wrong had I committed? I have never thought from this perspective, so I was quite surprised. However, I was still thankful as he agreed, albeit doing so slightly begrudgingly. ¡°Anyway, there are a few more days left until the hunting festival, so he said I could also attend the first banquet as well.¡± [. . . But Madam. Just what are you planning to do?] Selene asked. ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± [I mean, are you really alright?] Selene asked again, with a concerned expression. Selene walked over beside me, feeling more melancholic than ever. I then sat down, fully aware of what she was worried about. As I watched Haniel, who fell asleep in the cot while waiting for my return, a smile crept across my face. ¡°Selene, you saw it for yourself. Lania will do whatever it takes to get to her goal.¡± [. . . But . . .] I reached over, helping Selene tighten the bandage on her ankle. She had suffered a huge humiliation from Rebecca that day. Not only did Selene get a couple of her feathers plucked off by Rebecca while protecting Haniel, but she also suffered a sprain and was still limping until today. ¡°Just imagine how much she looked down on me for finding fault with me in every way possible?¡± I said, frustrated. [You should be more careful then. If you attend the first banquet after the recent episode . . .] ¡°Well, she¡¯ll be able to see for herself who else is supporting me from behind,¡± I said. ¡°Plus, everything happened because I hold no power here. We¡¯re neither family nor related by blood. Plus, I¡¯ve been staying in this villa ever since arriving at this household and have never expressed any discontent. She definitely finds me easy to deal with.¡± [What? Madam, you definitely don¡¯t look that way . . .] Selene was about to refute my claims but held back. ¡°. . . What did you say?¡± [Nothing. I said Madam is pure and innocent.] Selene reiterated, then continued to add that I look frail and would even be blown away by the winds. It was her exaggerated words that then made me realize how tough I actually was. And it was because of that, that I have been trying my best to hide it all this time. I didn¡¯t want things to be too complicated, and thus had been fooling myself into drawing a line at what I deemed to be sufficient. ¡°That day . . . I felt that everything would be on me when I imagined not knowing what would happen to Haniel.¡± I confessed. [Why is that your fault? It should be on the two evil sisters!] Selene exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s foolish when I know full well their personalities, yet still act weak,¡± I replied, dejected. I¡¯ve steeled my resolve ever since that day, even though it was something I knew from before. I had to protect Haniel and must gain more power in order to do so. Chapter 146 ¡°It¡¯s obvious that they would come looking for trouble again if I remained silent and did nothing, so I must do something to stop them. I¡¯ll meet more people, and gather whatever power I can grasp onto.¡± [Well, what kind of power are you referring to?] ¡°. . . Whatever I can.¡± I smiled bitterly, as I too have no idea what to aim for. I¡¯d gather everything within reach, be it money or power. But what would happen after . . . just thinking about it made my heart palpitate. ¡°. . . My sweet princess.¡± I gently hugged Haniel who was fast asleep in her cot. Lightly touching the silver ribbon made me recall that day¡¯s events, sending shivers through my entire body along with a sense of indescribable security. Seems like this ribbon saved you. Regardless of His Majesty¡¯s motives for gifting this ribbon, it was this that saved Haniel from the evil hands of Lania. He would be happy if he knew that, sweetie. I wasn¡¯t sure why I had thought that way, but that was what came to my mind. I felt the same thing when he spoke those words earlier. ¡°Reina will need a new ribbon soon then.¡± * * * Pressing on a tightly packed bookcase located in a deep corner of Lania¡¯s study revealed a narrow stairway leading to the basement. After confirming that she was alone, Lania stepped into the dimly lit stairway, which went down for quite a while. One wrong step and she could have tripped and fallen. It was obvious that she had often gone down to the basement via this route, seeing how calmly she walked down the dark and narrow path. ¡°Ronin! Calling for me at this hour, are you crazy?!¡± Lania shouted upon stepping foot into the basement room. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have called for you if it wasn¡¯t something urgent, would I?¡± The latter replied confidently, with a slight tone of sarcasm. The candles lit up starting from where Ronin stood, soon lighting up the entire room. Intrigued, Lania¡¯s eyebrows cocked upwards but was appalled when she turned around. ¡°T-this is . . .!¡± Lania quickly covered her mouth in shock. ¡°Mmph . . .!¡± The man struggled fiercely while tied to the chair and yelled with his gagged mouth. However, there was no one else who would take pity on his circumstance. Intrigued, Lania approached the muffled man and stared at his wrist which was covered by some magical equipment. ¡°Is he a wizard?¡± She asked. ¡°My Lady indeed has a keen eye. Despite his appearance, he¡¯s from the magic tower and is also with the palace. I caught him snooping around like a rat, much unlike his status.¡± Ronin replied, feeling somewhat proud. ¡°Mmph-¡± the muffled man tried to yell once more. Ronin¡¯s face turned ghastly in an instant. It wasn¡¯t the first time hearing the words ¡®Magic Tower¡¯ drove him crazy, Lania clicked her tongue disapprovingly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about what you do, but how could you kidnap a wizard from the magic tower? Are you in your right mind?¡± Lania reprimanded. ¡°My Lady, how can you say that? We¡¯re all in the same boat after all.¡± ¡°What if His Majesty saw him? Anyone would know that he had followed His Majesty all the way . . . Ah!¡± Ronin smirked, as if he had expected the same thought to have crossed Lania¡¯s mind. ¡°My Lady, aren¡¯t you curious why His Majesty came here?¡± ¡°Of course I am!¡± ¡°His Majesty even brought the wizards along secretly on this trip,¡± Ronin added. A blue light then emitted from his hand. What looked like cold ice appeared and took the shape of a dagger, which Ronin placed by the man¡¯s mouth and tore his gag. The man bled in the process. Ronin was careless, making a small cut. ¡°How could you do this to me when you knew of my identity as a wizard protected by the Magic Tower¡¯s holy magic?!¡± The man yelled as he spat out the gag. ¡°Holy magic, huh . . .¡± Ronin lost his smile. His face turned stiff as it had been a while since he heard those words. The wizard flinched, ¡°Are¡ª are you perhaps?!¡± ¡°Oh, it seems like the great magic tower is still telling my tales then?¡± Ronin smirked. ¡°So what has the old man told you? That I¡¯m a disgrace for obsessing over forbidden magic? A wizard of misfortune?¡± His cackling laughter truly suited the dreary basement. Ronin moved closer to the wizard, genuinely curious of what the wizard was told about him back at the magic tower. The wizard, seemingly a new blood, shuddered at Ronin¡¯s dark energy. ¡°Release me immediately! You¡¯re indirectly treating His Majesty and the magic tower with contempt by holding me here! You must know that!¡± The young wizard yelled. ¡°What a fool. If I were such a gentleman, I wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped you here, would I?¡± Ronin laughed. ¡°Mmph!¡± ¡°Tell us. What is His Majesty really here for?¡± Ronin lost his smile, his face turning gloomy as the fog at dawn. Chapter 147 Lania folded her arms and looked down at the sorcerer with blatant interest on her visage. The wizard instantly snapped at her, ¡°If you are really the daughter of Evendell of the Northern Lands, come to your senses now! If you are being manipulated by this guy, I¡¯ll try my best to vouch for you. In that case, His Majesty may grant you clemency¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not seeking clemency from His Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­Lady Lania! If people found out that you collaborated with someone like him and held me captive here, how are you going to handle the consequences?¡± ¡°Oops. I think there¡¯s some misunderstanding here.¡± ¡°Do you think that, after seeing me here, you can really return in one piece to His Majesty to tell on me?¡± Lania let out a chuckle as she walked over to Ronin; the two¡¯s eyes briefly met. Even if it was just for a brief moment, it was enough to send goosebumps over the wizard¡¯s body, despite him having received higher-level education at the Magic Tower. ¡°At this rate, he will bite his tongue off before anything. So before that, we should get an answer, no matter what.¡± Ronin remarked. ¡°Crazy bastard! Stop this nonsense! Even if I were to die, I won¡¯t speak a single word about His Majesty!¡± ¡°Such a commendable spirit. However, words don¡¯t necessarily translate to actions. See.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Walking slowly, Lania stuck her head out from behind Ronin. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there is a magic that can control the mind of another without much effort. Is that true?¡± Lania asked. ¡°But Lady. The price¡­¡± ¡°That seems to be what we have agreed on, Ronin, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gulp. At Lania¡¯s question, a meaningful smile crept onto Ronin¡¯s face after some time. Any magic that was related to human¡¯s mind was strictly prohibited, regardless of the reason of its use. Also, users of such forbidden magic would have to pay with their life force if they invoked the spell, even if they were doing it in secrecy. ¡°Though I¡¯m the one using the spell, I wonder who¡¯s the true dark wizard here when you are casually asking others to use up their life force, Lady Lania.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that, Ronin. That¡¯s not my style of doing things.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? You will soon be receive the compensation for all the life force you had used to till date.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Of course.¡± Recalling the day when he first met Lania, Ronin bowed his head down. Then, black smoke began to rise from his fingertips. Contrary from before, a chilling frost started to penetrate the tied man, deep into his bones like a spear. ¡°Sweetie, don¡¯t hide your thoughts. Think carefully. What was the real purpose of His Majesty¡¯s visit?¡± ¡°Arghhhh!¡± The black smoke dug into the wizard¡¯s forehead. Due to the identity of his opponent, it wasn¡¯t easy for Ronin as well, as his expression distorted. But soon, the swirling fog completely enveloped the tied man. The unexpected dark energy overpowered the wizard and caused him to vomit blood. A satisfied smile appeared on Ronin¡¯s pale face. ¡°Indeed, despite my current circumstances, I was supposedly the next-in-line to succeed the Magic Tower.¡± *** ¡°Catherine, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Rashid¡¯s indifferent gaze that was directed outside the window soon stopped at me. The supposedly relatively spacious carriage suddenly felt extremely tight as his overwhelming presence diagonally opposite from me made my knees tingle. ¡°What¡¯s making you so depressed?¡± Rashid repeated himself. ¡°¡­Do I look that bad?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play innocent. I¡¯m saying this now, you¡¯re bad at acting.¡± He¡¯s just blatantly saying that ¡®I¡¯m just getting fooled because it¡¯s you.¡¯ Rashid spoke in such a straightforward manner with his direct gaze and crossed legs, that I suspected if he was an x-ray machine(raws used deboner, but I couldn¡¯t think of the occupation rn. Referring to those who can see through others immediately). Despite being the only one and self-conceited emperor, he should feel slightly awkward being alone with the wife of an aristocrat, but not a trace of it could be seen on his face. ¡°What? Am I wrong?¡± He prompted. Instead, the smile that one would have while seated in the living room grew on the corners of his mouth. Others might mistake that he was out for a picnic. His smile softed, adding a slight pout. ¡°Others might think that I¡¯ve kidnapped you.¡± ¡°Well, Your Majesty came over knocking on my door, asking me to come out; why wouldn¡¯t I be surprised?¡± I retorted. I recalled how shocked I was hearing the rapping on my door in the wee hours of the morning. Ever since Lania last visited, I haven¡¯t been able to sleep a wink since I had to protect my poor little girl. His rapping had sent my heart racing even faster when Lania stormed into my place. ¡°Y-Your Majesty! Why are you here! Could it¡ª?!¡± I had jumped to the worst conclusion then¡ªthat he had noticed something and was here to capture me. Otherwise, what other reason was there for him to come looking for me personally? Chapter 148 Rashid only shrugged indifferently despite seeing how shocked I was through the slightly opened door. ¡°Come out now.¡± ¡°What? W, why, all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± He definitely didn¡¯t look like he was here to capture a sinner or put an end to whatever it was. Instead, his neatly combed back blonde hair turned him into a gentleman, a side of him that I¡¯ve never seen before. On top of that his navy blue uniform, silver epaulette, and the sword that I haven¡¯t seen in a while; he looked like a prince that had walked out of a comic book. I was flustered at his unfamiliar look, but his next words were not gentlemanly at all. ¡°I¡¯ll go in then.¡± Seriously, what is he doing? I may be a widow living all alone, but wait. Shouldn¡¯t he refrain from coming over unannounced? I was honestly confused at this point in time. I tried to not think too much into it, but logically speaking, there was only one of two reasons someone would come knocking the other party¡¯s door unannounced. Enemies trying to capture a sneaky little rat, or a couple missing each other all day. ¡°¡­Catherine. What¡¯s with that weird expression now?¡± Of course, there¡¯s no way. There¡¯s no way it would be the latter. He doesn¡¯t even reflect on his actions and instead put the blame all on me, labeling me the strange woman. I then thought of a third explanation. ¡®He¡¯s just really a do-whatever-I-want-whenever kind of guy, huh.¡¯ This would explain all of his actions. Feeling much more as peace, I gently covered Haniel with a blanket, who was still sound asleep in the basket. Selene was beside her, but was still angered at the humiliation since she was brought along out of nowhere. [Hmpf, seriously. Where has all my luck ran to? I¡¯m not even trying to leech on my master¡¯s wealth or ride on her virtue¡­ I only wish to sleep whenever I want but I can¡¯t even do something so simple. Sighhh.] ¡°¡­¡± Did you think I had a good sleep? I was left speechless at Selene¡¯s grumblings but I could only swallow my dissent in front of Rashid. Knowing full well that I coud only remain silent in this situation, Selene continued with her one person conversation. [I¡¯m saying this because I feel that it¡¯s too much. Sir Darren is holding a swimming lesson for adults since it¡¯s the weekends but¡­] ¡°Ha!¡± I snorted reflexively. ¡°Is that directed towards me?¡± Rashid¡¯s head stiffened at my sudden reaction. Selene then openly feigned ignorance and went on to fluffing her own feathers, blatantly saying ¡®let¡¯s see how you deal with him on your own¡¯. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not. Of course not. I¡¯ve got too much going on in my head while watching them¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Speaking of which, I¡¯ve got something in mind as well.¡± ¡°What is it, Your Majesty?¡± Thinking of which, Rashid¡¯s gaze was fixated at the basket. Somehow, his eyes had voluntarily stayed on Haniel; I unknowingly swallowed while observing his reaction. ¡°That bird¡­ Your daughter, Reina.¡± ¡°Yes, what about her?¡± My princess. If she knew her brother was talking about her, she¡¯d be scared out of her wits. I covered her ears gently, hoping that she would sleep all the way. On the other hand, Selene did not forget to stuck out her tongue at me. ¡®Aigoo, she¡¯s seriously!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of her to be particularly cute or pretty before.¡± Hmm? Two words that I¡¯ve never thought would come out from a man like Rashid appeared. As my eyes widened in disbelief, Selene too turned her head around. ¡°Ah¡­ I see. What about her?¡± ¡°She looks better when put together with that speckled thing.¡± Ohhh, Your Majesty. I never knew his straightforwardness could be so refreshing. I stifled my laughter by covering my mouth, while the speckled thing, no¡ªSelene croaked while clutching her chest. ¡°Is it because she looks ordinary?¡± ¡°Caw!¡± Selene had both feet up in the air by now after getting completely shot down and cleaned out by the deboner. Ahhh, it¡¯s great that I followed him out today. Rashid looked at me, unhappy at my biting on my lips holding back my laughter and my trembling shoulders. I¡¯m not sure if he knew that my reaction would just turn for the worse when he¡¯s speaking in such a serious tone, but his gaze returned to me. ¡°What. Is this because I made fun of your bird¡ªdaughter¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°N-no, definitely not!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Majesty. God¡¯s representative and the empire¡¯s Sun; of course you¡¯re free to do whatever you like.¡± Hmm. Though I¡¯ve given him a deft answer, there was still suspicion in his eyes. But my usually bright smile made him looked away, with his fingers crossed. ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll do whatever I like then.¡± But, that pleasantness wouldn¡¯t last long. And that was a huge flaw of his. Now I know why I had that creepy feeling crawling up my body. It was time for me to return to reality. ¡°Uhh, but where are we going right now?¡± ¡°Curious?¡± ¡°Well, yes. You came to find me so early in the morning, so there must be something relatively important.¡± In fact, I felt slightly resentful. I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for several days now since I had to protect Haniel, my eyes were even blurry now. This shouldn¡¯t happen now. Even though I¡¯m on the same carriage as His Majesty, I shouldn¡¯t lower my guard¡­. Chapter 149 ¡°Mm.¡± I stifled a yawn and rubbed my eyes. Ironically, there¡¯s no one else like this man here, who could be a guardian to safeguard and protect us. To think that both mother and daughter had been careful and wary wherever we went, keeping our heads down; now there¡¯s no one as reliable as he was. At the very least, not even Lania or anyone else for that matter, could do anything to us as long as this man was around. ¡°Sleep if you¡¯re feeling sleepy,¡± Rashid said ¡°Meee?¡± No way! I forced my eyelids to stay open despite them feeling extremely heavy. The sight seemed funny to him, as Rashid chuckled silently, but I¡¯m still an honorable and esteemed lady. I might be a widowed therianthropic (half human half animal shape shifter), but I still can¡¯t sleep anywhere without a care for my¡­. ¡°Yaaawn!¡± I turned to look out the window in an attempt to conceal my yawn which I failed to conceal. But Rashid placed his arm on the windowsill and said, ¡°I told you to get some shuteye.¡± ¡°No can do. How could I ever do that before Your Majesty? That must never happen.¡± Rashid remained silent. ¡°So please tell me where we¡¯re heading to instead. I¡¯m all ears.¡± I straightened myself and smiled gently. Though I quite desperately wish to sleep beside Haniel and Selene who are both in the basket, I shouldn¡¯t allow any more of my weaknesses to be in his hands. ¡°Well, if you say so.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Go ahead! ¡°I¡¯ve probably mentioned this before, but there¡¯s quite a bit of things we need to prepare for this event. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue if we didn¡¯t hold it, but since we¡¯re holding it now, we should properly display the Royalty¡¯s power and dignity¡­¡± Thud (It¡¯s Rashid¡¯s POV from here on.) Rashid stopped mid-sentence when he saw Catherine¡¯s head tilted to the side. Though slightly speechless and also having expected things to turn out this way, his oblique smile did not leave his face. ¡°Sigh.¡± ¡°¡­Qu, quack.¡± The mallard in the basket cried out, seemingly embarrassed at Catherine¡¯s behavior, who looked like her head was about to roll out the carriage. It was about to peck her hands with its beak, but was a step late. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so stubborn over it.¡± Rashid said, and his chuckle filled the carriage. His long fingers caught Catherine¡¯s head lightly. He stopped chuckling as he observed her sleeping face, albeit momentarily. ¡°Shh, pretend that this never happened.¡± ¡°¡­Quaack.¡± The mallard croaked, as if in agreement then stretched its feet out and sat down once more. However, Rashid didn¡¯t care if the mallard agreed or not, and returned his gaze to Catherine. Rashid watched her tired face. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do the same.¡± *** ¡±Mmph!¡± I stretched and rolled my shoulders after a surprisingly refreshing nap. I must have fallen asleep unknowingly, but didn¡¯t seem to have made a fool out of myself. I imagine myself keeping my poised composure even while sleeping quietly. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting off?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Rashid, who had already alighted the carriage, stared at me. I found his annoyed eyes a thankful reaction from him as they seemed to be asking why I had stopped in my tracks. ¡®It¡¯s great that he didn¡¯t find out that I fell asleep.¡¯ There would be no way he would let it go. He would be teasing me about it or chuckling away instead. Thinking of those possible reactions sent chills down my spine. ¡°Phew.¡± I smiled brightly in relief, regardless of how I was viewed. I was about to grab the basket along with the sleeping Haniel in it, but Selene¡¯s gaze looked slightly off. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± [¡­Um, Madam.] Selene seemed to be keeping something from me, while her eyes also looked scared and unusually hopeful at the same time. Those emotions in her eyes were as if drawn clearly on a piece of drawing paper that got me all flustered. Did I do something wrong? What is it? I lowered my head and whispered softly to Selene such that Rashid couldn¡¯t hear me from outside. ¡°What? Are you still angry?¡± [¡­It¡¯s not that.] ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you preparing to get off? If you don¡¯t want to stay awake, then just continue staying asleep.¡± I quickly tossed her a few choices, afraid that Rashid would kick the carriage over if he was even slightly annoyed with waiting for me. Chapter 150 ¡°Haniel shouldn¡¯t be dragged into this. She¡¯s already scared enough and shouldn¡¯t get any more shocks than she already has. Moreover, His Majesty is waiting for us as well.¡± [That¡¯s why¡­] ¡°Hmm?¡± [I think it¡¯s best for both of us to stay in the carriage.] Selene replied in rejection while stepping back. I have heard this from her a couple of times before, but she sounded much more resolute this time. ¡°Why? Are you still pissed?¡± [It¡¯s not that. I think the princess would be shocked to see His Majesty when she wakes later. She has been afraid of humans ever since she was kidnapped. ¡°That is true, but¡­¡± [So you should just go with His Majesty. We by-standers will get out of the way so please¡­] ¡°Catherine, just how long¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I¡¯m going!¡± I quickly opened the carriage door as Rashid rushed me from outside. The air outside smelled like it was about to rain with the humidity hanging densely in the air, ¡®Oh no.¡¯ Regardless of what Selene¡¯s motive was, the weather was great to catch a cold. It would be perfect for a mentally exhausted child to catch a bad flu if I brought her out. [Just go, don¡¯t worry about the princess. There¡¯s fish jerky and hay too.] I got much more worried seeing her proactiveness. My eyes narrowed at Selene, who couldn¡¯t wait to send me off, but I eventually alighted the carriage. She wouldn¡¯t harm the sleeping child since she¡¯s a nanny herself. That was how I convinced myself. Rashid and I soon arrived before a run down building. ¡°Your Majesty, is this the place where you said you had something important to do¡­¡± Hmm, this place is kind of¡­ Since it has come to this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfil my responsibilities as a perfect ¡®strategic partner¡¯ even if I wished to. Rashid stood before a huge window looking exceptionally perfect, from his looks, expression and even his manner of speech. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Catherine?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I belatedly flashed an awkward smile while looking at the show window he was facing. I couldn¡¯t beat the sparkling reflection of myself in the shop window no matter how awkward my smile looked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a dress shop?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± And? Yet I hesitated when those intimidating eyes of his looked right at me, as if asking why I had asked him something so obvious. It was enough to make me think that I had done something wrong. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s an important job.¡± ¡°¡­Coming to a dress shop?¡± ¡°Catherine.¡± His remark made me intimidated unknowingly. It felt like he was frustrated at dealing with me who was asking questions like a child. This was why Haniel thought that Lady Melleo was more affectionate as compared to this man. ¡°What¡¯s going through your mind right now?¡± ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that according to my logic, your important thing is¡­¡± ¡°I thought that you, who would be standing right beside me at the upcoming banquet, should be dressed appropriately. All of the aristocrats would have heard about us seeing each other frequently these days, so you¡¯ll be disgracing mine and the Rohan¡¯s family image if you don¡¯t match up.¡± He then added, ¡°Were you planning to attend the banquet like how you usually dress?¡± He then silently and slowly assessed my outfit from top to bottom as I listened blankly. I belatedly opened? up my already wrinkled dress. Thankfully the dress was black, and thus the lace and decorations on it were not as visible. ¡°I, is it that weird?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°Though I don¡¯t have extremely elegant dresses, I think this dress is one of the best I¡¯ve got¡­¡± I stuttered while trying hard to conceal my embarrassment and looked down at my own outfit. However, the elegant dress behind that show window just seemed to have made my outfit look much shabbier. Right, I should just act like how Selene did earlier in the carriage! I took a step up towards Rashid at that sudden thought. ¡°Mm, I think I¡¯ve put in much effort, this dress is¡­.¡± ¡°Pretty.¡± Wow, I had never imagined there would be a day that such a word would come from him. I could never expect that from a man like him. ¡°In my eyes.¡± But, I couldn¡¯t pretend that I didn¡¯t hear him either. He¡¯s the majesty! I looked at him, stunned. Instead, he turned back toward the entrance to the dress shop and entered it. ¡°So you should look the same to everyone else as well.¡± Chapter 151 ¡°I have received the news from Viscount Dion. My word, to think that your Majesty, the face of God and the Sun of the empire would bless us with his presence at our humble shop¡­such is an honor to the clan and I cannot thank the Supreme Lord Therez enou¡­¡± <¡°Save that for later.¡±> Rashid told the dress shop owner, who was practically glued to the ground, to get on with it with a sharp flick of his head. As expected of this man¡­or it would¡¯ve been, if not for what happened outside of this shop just before. ¡°¡­Do I really know this man?¡± Even if I did, so what? I wanted to turn around and slap my cheeks but I settled for squeezing my hands into a tight fist instead. No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s all because of my lack of experience. If it were the other female heroines, affection from the male sub characters or even the main character would only produce a response of ¡°Hmph, again?¡± and act as if nothing happened, but unfortunately I am some random extra that has never experienced any sort of romance whatsoever. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have thought of it too much if a man I¡¯ve never seen before simply fell for my looks, but with him¡­we¡¯re basically like an open book to each other, aren¡¯t we? And to top it all off, it¡¯s not like he said that in a kind or romantic way either. <¡°Catherine, what are you doing there all by yourself?¡±> ¡°¡­¡­¡± <¡°Hm, is your Ladyship all ears for me yet again?¡±> That. He used that condescending, workplace-style tone. He was probably annoyed by my reluctance to go inside the shop, so he meant to stop wasting his time ¨C nothing more, nothing less. After all, he was staring at me with a sharp look the whole time in the carriage. I thought about all cases of characters who became ¡°fish food after misunderstanding¡± from the various novels I¡¯ve read. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± It¡¯s working, it worked! Finally, I can calm down a little! Nothing better than the primal instinct to live to calm one¡¯s nerves. After hurrying on over before he could get angry at me, the female dress shop owner gave me a curious look as if she recognized me. ¡°Not that surprising.¡± The Emperor of the glorious empire and the witch of the North, who is said to have devoured her husband on the first night. No duo in history would¡¯ve been stranger than us two, but that¡¯s why we were the perfect duo to agitate one¡¯s curiosity. Since this was a matter with the Emperor, she wasn¡¯t going to ask directly but there was a need to clarify the situation. ¡°Then, I will have to choose a dress to wear for the banquet. It is his Majesty¡¯s first banquet after visiting the North, and as someone who has to sit next to his Majesty, I have no desire to stick out like a sore thumb.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± She did sound somewhat like an NPC, but it looked like she understood. Seeing my worn-out clothes convinced her even further. Yep, those clothes are definitely not suitable. Unlike her gaze full of pity, Rashid became more and more impatient. <¡±Instead of making idle talk, how about..¡±> ¡°Ok, I get it. I¡¯ll go look at the dresses.¡± That tone was cold enough to shatter the dangerous misunderstanding just before. Through the gaze of the dress shop owner next to him, I realized once again the limits of the relationship between him and I. A relationship where just by being together, requires explanation to some. ¡°¡­Oh well.¡± It was bittersweet but that¡¯s reality. Before I became more depressed, I left Rashid¡¯s side and went further inside the shop. As long as he wishes it, I was gonna have to choose a dress in order to leave anyways, so I figured I might as well take a look at what the shop had to offer. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Was I a plebian? Or were the dresses just that beautiful? There were rows upon rows of gorgeous dresses that shattered my depressed mood in an instant. Step by step, everywhere I walked, there were dresses that looked so amazingly exquisite, as if flowers were about to bloom from its fabric. I couldn¡¯t help but gasp in shock. Compared to these artforms, the black dresses inside my closet were nothing. As if the fabric would flow like gentle streaming water when touched, the dresses were as soft as clouds in the radiant sky. ¡°¡­No. There¡¯s no point in touching.¡± Just as I was unknowingly about to touch the soft fabric, I hurriedly took a step away. No reason to dwell onto something that¡¯s not mine. But that firm resolve crumbled into pieces as I spotted a dress showcased in the middle of the shop. ¡°¡­.¡± A crimson purple dress that was as intense as it was elegant. A simple design laced with shimmering satin. As I looked at the chest line that reached all the way underneath the collarbone, I couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of something. ¡°Ah¡­¡± That was the color of my iris when I saw the lake¡¯s reflection at that time. When I first fell into this world, the feeling of shock when I saw how beautiful I was ¨C that feeling was stemming from this alluring dress. This time, I reached out and grasped the hem of the dress without hesitation. So silky and soft¡­I wanted to hold onto this fabric forever. ¡°¡­.¡± Chapter 152 I was getting that feeling just by touching its hem, so imagine what it would feel like if this dress encompassed my entire body. I tentatively pulled on the hem and the muted sound of fabric brushing against the air rang in my ears. Such a beautiful sound was like music to my ears, and when I laughed in excitement, another sound ¨C the clacking noise of his shoes filled my ears. <¡±Do you like it?¡±> ¡°¡­Ah, and I was almost done looking.¡± <¡±I asked if you liked the dress or not.¡±> ¡°¡­.¡± Even that no-nonsense tone of his didn¡¯t feel as intimidating in front of this stunning dress. Not wanting to act as awkward any longer, I smiled and shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I wanted to make a ribbon for Reyna with this color.¡± (TL note: I can¡¯t find in the glossary, please fix if the spelling is wrong) ¡°¡­.¡± Whether he was buying my story or not, I decided to continue. ¡°Her face is white ¨C then again, her entire body is white, so this type of color would fit well with her. I wonder how pretty it¡¯d look on her¡­¡± <¡±As I said, do you like it or not.¡±> ¡°¡­.I..¡± ¡°Ah, I have some other dresses prepared for Your Ladyship. They¡¯re just about done.¡± With great timing, the dress shop owner interjected while bowing her head. She pointed at a selection of black dresses hung together. ¡°Wow, amazing.¡± ¡°Right? You¡¯d know if you touch it, but all of them are made with the finest fabric.¡± She excitedly handed me the dress in the front. There wasn¡¯t much difference in texture with the previous dress, but the color and design of this dress didn¡¯t really give me the sense of amazement like before. That being said, compared to the black dress I was wearing now, this dress was an absolute dream-like luxury. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. I think I¡¯ll go with this one.¡± ¡°As expected, Your Ladyship has an eye for dresses! I can say with confidence that there are no dresses in the North as beautiful as these. After all, a dress that is dignified yet has so much elegance is almost unheard of.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Having such a cheerful conversation in a dress shop certainly didn¡¯t feel bad at all. I brushed my hair back as I turned towards Rashid, still waiting behind me. ¡°They¡¯re so beautiful, your Majesty. I think I like all of them.¡± <¡°¡­Is that so?¡±> Slowly, yet with form. With every step he took, the sword on his waist rang out softly. Perhaps it was because he dressed formally today, but he was overflowing with authority, yet not in a scary way. <¡°So you like those dresses that much, hm?¡±> Shhhhing Even his action of unsheathing the silverlight blade looked like a scene in a portrait. So much so that the thought of why he was even pulling out his sword in the first place occurred much later. I mean, as long as he doesn¡¯t cut me, right? ¡°Ah¡­¡± Instead, something else was cut down. Every time he took a step, the black dresses were brutally sliced into pieces. <¡°Oh my.¡±> Rashid¡¯s eyes, which were looking back at the mangled remains of the dresses, looked somewhat regretful. <¡°¡­.How unfortunate. Looks like you will have to choose a new dress.¡±> _________________________________________________________________ <¡°And you looked like you really loved those dresses, this is truly regretful.¡±> ¡°¡­.¡± Your Majesty, such a statement shouldn¡¯t be spoken with a smile. ¡­I thought as I went into Teacher Sullivan mode for the first time in a while. I looked downwards with a solemn look, but the dress shop owner was speechless with shock, her hand covering her gaping mouth. ¡°Ahhh¡­.¡± <¡±Add those to my bill. All of it.¡±> ¡°A, all of this? Will your Majesty truly pay for all of th¡­¡± Her sighs as a merchant quickly became cheerful in the face of potential money. As she took her hand away from her mouth and gave a grateful look, Rashid scowled and said in an annoyed tone: <¡±Then, are you saying that I, the Emperor, do not have enough morals to pay for what I¡¯ve damaged?¡±> ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± Please. If you¡¯re going to say that, at least put away your sword. I shook my head, exasperated, when I met his eye. The shop owner just earned a huge fortune and all, but there was nothing for me to smile about. As I stared at the ripped dress with pity, I said in an awkward tone: ¡°T, then, I¡¯ll just have to find whatever looks the best here¡­¡± <¡±Catherine, that¡¯s enough.¡±> ¡°¡­.¡± <¡±There¡¯s no time. Hurry and pick one.¡±> You say that, but why are you nodding towards a certain dress behind you? Only he could ever have one¡¯s words and actions so different from each other. I of course knew what dress he was talking about, but that dress was too extravagant for me. Even if it was for the banquet of his Majesty, for a woman whose husband died not even a year ago, it was far too luxurious. ¡°Your Majesty, then if we go to another place we may be able to find another black dre¡­¡± <¡±You and your black dresses.¡±> How annoying. Wearing a face of disapproval, he gently pushed on my back. Surprised at his touch, I bounced a few steps forward and found myself in front of the crimson purple satin dress that flowed like water. <¡±Just tell me one thing. Whether you like the dress, or not.¡±> ¡°I do, I really do. It¡¯s just¡­¡± <¡±Then what seems to be the problem?¡±> ¡°¡­¡± <¡°Do you still miss the deceased duke?¡±> This time, he asked in a nervous, hurried tone ¨C quite unlike himself. As he silently prodded me for an answer, I turned my gaze away from the alluring dress in front of me. Chapter 153 ¡°What do you mean?¡± <¡±Am I wrong? Then what other reason is there for you to refuse this dress? Or was the duke¡¯s last wish for you to only wear black clothes for the rest of your life?¡±> ¡°¡­.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but flinch at his aggressive tone. It was almost like he was going to cut the duke¡¯s grave with his blade if that was indeed his last wish. Forget his last wish, I didn¡¯t even get to see his face! I hurriedly shook my head in denial. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t even get to try on the dress yet!¡± I unknowingly retracted my hands that were about to touch the dress again. Instead, I awkwardly brushed my hair behind my ear. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I¡¯ve only been wearing mostly black clothes all my life, so the thought of wearing a dress with this color is¡­unfamiliar. I mean, wouldn¡¯t your Majesty act the same if told to wear something your Majesty has never worn before?¡± <¡±Why would I?¡±> And with that, he took the hem of the dress and handed it back to me. As if asking why I was still hesitant, he held a strong gaze towards me as the velvety texture enveloped my hands again. Even though it hadn¡¯t been long since I last touched this dress, it strangely felt silkier than before. <¡±Go try it on. There¡¯s not much time left.¡±> ¡°¡­¡± Seemingly reading my thoughts, his commanding tone made my ears go red. As Rashid nodded towards the owner, the owner hurriedly came up to me and said: ¡°Allow me to help you, your Ladyship. After all, we will also need to try on accessories that are suitable with a dress of this caliber.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I can handle it myse¡­¡± <¡±Alright. Then do it yourself.¡±> After his approval ¨C a truly rare occasion ¨C I hugged the beautiful dress in between my arms. ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll go and¡­¡± <¡±Although, one has to wonder why this shop exists if you do a better job than the owner.¡±> ¡°¡­Your Ladyship! I beg you!¡± Terrified of Rashid¡¯s chilling yet calm remark, the owner pleaded and begged to let her help. A clothing store such as this could be closed with just a snap of his fingers, so she grabbed onto my clothes and pleaded with all her might. <¡±Try this, this, and this.¡±> Swoosh! Swoosh! Meanwhile, Rashid began adding new dresses for me to try with clean movements, akin to swordsmanship. It wasn¡¯t like he threw those clothes, but they weren¡¯t exactly handled with care either. <¡±Hm, this one is acceptable as well.¡±> ¡°¡­.¡± This man really makes me confused at times. In a blink of an eye, there was a mountain of clothes stacked on top of the lobby sofa, all chaotic just like my current state of mind. But as if the mass of clothes weren¡¯t enough, he opened up the innermost glass display guarded with numerous locks. This time, with his sword. <¡±¡­Hm. Not bad at all.¡±> Even though he was the one stepping on the scattered glass shards, only he seemed like nothing was bothering him. After seeing him pick something up with the tip of his sword, all serene as if enjoying a piece of artwork, I finally slammed the curtains shut. Everything felt so wrong, and I felt like I was going to go crazy if I watched him for a second longer. ¡°¡­.¡± Really, no one should be allowed to act like that¡­and yet, if it¡¯s him, I get the strange feeling that he¡¯s justified, in a way. ¡°Your Ladyship, try this on. I¡¯ll untie the laces in the back. You should get ready quickly.¡± ¡°Will this take long?¡± ¡°We need to fit the dress for your exact size, and for a dress of this color, we should check how it suits you outside under the sun. Unfortunately, strong rain is due to arrive soon¡­¡± After seeing the gray, thick clouds beyond, her hands moved even quicker than before. Looking at the gigantic mass of clothes next to my feet, there really wasn¡¯t going to be enough time to try and fit all of these dresses. As soon as she began working on the next lace, I quickly turned around. ¡°One moment, I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°What? Where?¡± ¡°Oh, I left something on the carriage. If unlacing the dresses will take a long time, I¡¯ll go and check quickly in the meantime.¡± ¡°But his Majesty¡­¡± What if I just flat-out left and never came back? She seemed terrified at that prospect and what Rashid might do to her, so I assured her that I was definitely going to come back quickly and for once, I told her my true feelings. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m also a woman, after all ¨C do you think I wouldn¡¯t want to try on these dresses?¡± _______________________________________________________________________ [¡°Huh?¡±] Where am I? Just like always, Haniel awoke from the cradle and stuck his tiny face out. The plush blankets, the crinkling hay noises ¨C all were just like normal but Haniel felt something was off. Chapter 154 [¡°Mooommy?¡±] The only thing that¡¯s not enough for an infant is just a single person. Haniel, who knew this feeling very well from his previous palace life, stood up and waddled around. [¡°Mooommy, are you dere?¡±] What to do! Normally, mom would sprint over and say ¡°Our princess, did you sleep well?¡± but now she¡¯s nowhere to be seen! No signs of her, not even her scent! After realizing this place wasn¡¯t the house she and her mother lived in, Haniel began tearing up. [¡°Moooom, sniffle, ¡®anny!¡±] ¡°¡­Mmm. Back to sleep, dear.¡± [¡°Nanny? Naaanny? Haniewsh nanny?¡±] After finding Selene outside the cradle, Haniel stopped sniffling. The nanny was here! It¡¯d be alright if the nanny was here. All fine. Relieved, Haniel flapped her wings and hopped out of the cradle. [¡°¡­..¡±] She slipped and fell on the velvet sofa, but she dusted herself without crying. She went over to the nanny to wake her up, but no matter how much she prodded her, the nanny showed no signs of waking. Was she dead? What should I do? Scared, Haniel began poking Selene with her wings, which caused Selene to flap her wings hard in response. ¡°Mmm¡­.go back to sleep, dear¡­.Now¡­.¡± [¡°Yesh, but..¡±] It was morning right now. Chirping in confusion, Haniel ended up diving under Selene¡¯s wings for comfort. After all, Mommy always did this to her every time she slept! Since Selene told her to go to sleep, she was going to try, but since sleep kept eluding her she got into her favorite position for sleep. Underneath the blueish-green wings, a baby bird¡¯s body kept twitching in anxiety. Yes, Selene¡¯s wings were warm, but they were different from the black swan mother¡¯s. Mommy¡¯s wings were more cushy and warm and¡­. [¡°Ith¡¯sh haniew¡¯sh mommy.¡±] There really was no other explanation. They were different because she was a mother, but also because she was my mommy. Hmmph! Haniel dragged herself from Selene¡¯s wings. She prodded Selene again but the nanny still showed no signs of movement. ¡°Mmmn, I didn¡¯t catch a wink of sleep until now¡­please let me be¡­.¡± [¡°Hic¡±] As Selene just covered her head with her wing in utter rejection, Haniel stepped back in surprise. She remembered the words of her mother, who said that she shouldn¡¯t bother the nanny too much. [¡°Nanny dangeroush!¡±] Reasserting her mother¡¯s words in her head, Haniel began waddling around once more. This place was so weird to her. Then again, Haniel had never gone on a proper outing before, so she had no idea what a carriage was. [¡°Mommy noth here!¡±] That was the one thing Haniel was sure of. Feeling anxious, Haniel hopped down the stairs. [¡°Hm? Mommy?] Tap tap. Haniel swung her head up towards the tapping sound on the window. Normally only mother would come and visit, but unfortunately it wasn¡¯t her. Drop drop. [¡°¡­.Thath¡¯sh rain. I wnow rain!¡±] Look! Haniel kept chirping at her nanny to come look, but Selene¡¯s snoring grew even louder. Yes, that wasn¡¯t mother, but Haniel still knew what that was! Instead of being scared by the sudden rain, Haniel was glad it came, as if meeting an old friend for the first time in a while. She began hopping around in a circle and whistling. Even when she was stuck in her royal chambers, there was always someone that came and visited her every time it rained. ¡°Long time no see, our princess Haniel!¡± Loam oppa! Last time it rained, Loam came to visit me as well. Unlike His Majesty oppa, Loam knew her name very well. Above all, Loam was the only one out of the oppas that held her high in the air on his two hands. [¡°¡­.Buth he¡¯sh noth Mommy.¡±] I wanna see Mommy! No matter what she thought, it all ended up being about her mother. ¡®I miss her so much, what do I do?¡¯ As Haniel thought of that, the comforting rain began to feel a bit scary. ¡°It was raining like this when her Majesty passed away as well.¡± ¡°Shh! Shut it! If his Majesty catches wind of you saying that, you won¡¯t live to see tomorrow!¡± Drop, drop. At that time, Haniel was simply closing her eyes and enjoyed the rhythmic tapping of the rain droplets when the two palace servants stared at her and whispered to each other. What were they saying? Surprise! Haniel opened her eyes, but everyone got frightened and ran away. And now in the present, that sad, lonely feeling from back then began seeping into Haniel¡¯s mind. She began flapping her wings. [I, I need tho go geth Mommy!] The black swan mother would always be lost in thought and suddenly say her plans out loud even if no one asked. Haniel remembered that very well, so she did the exact same thing: [¡°Haniel will go and find Mommy!¡±] After making a plan, courage began building up in her heart. Because Mommy always came to get her every day; Because I felt so happy when she came to get me; Because the most beautiful mother in the entirety of Lake School always arrives first to embrace me ¨C Step! Haniel hopped down from the last step. She turned around to invite the nanny to come with her, but because the stairs were so high, Selene was nowhere to be seen. What she saw, however, was the pouring rain that was ever so close to her at this moment. [¡°Mommy! Waith for me!¡±] Chapter 155 I wonder if she¡¯s still sleeping? Holding the cookies from the shop, she started walking faster and faster towards the carriage. What started as a few drops became a steady stream of rain, and it was getting stronger. As Rashid¡¯s gigantic carriage came into view, a feeling of relief suddenly washed over me. ¡°¡­..¡± Indeed, my princess was sleeping under the protection of that large and sturdy carriage. That carriage, impenetrable to even the tiniest of rain drops, grew more and more reliable as I got closer. If only the weather would be warmer from now on. That would be amazing¡­ And with that unlikely thought, I reached to open the door. ¡°Selene, are you still¡­¡± The door was already opened. What¡­ Contrast to the silent carriage, my heart began beating as loud as ever. Anxious, I stuck my head in the carriage and looked around, but that just added to my rapidly growing fear. ¡°My baby!¡± Even without lifting the blankets, I could tell that my white princess was nowhere to be seen. Underneath the cushy sofa, behind the window curtains¡­.nowhere. ¡°Ahh¡­..¡± Nowhere. Nowhere. In the room devoid of a child¡¯s warm and soft scent, my legs started to buckle. I stopped myself from losing it and managed to turn myself away from the carriage. I couldn¡¯t even blink. Blinking was a luxury I could not afford at this moment. Not until I found Haniel¡­ ¡°Then again,¡± Selene is gone as well, so there¡¯s a high chance both of them are together. It would still be dangerous, with them being small animals and all, but still infinitely better than being stranded alone. But not even before I made a turn, my final hopes were shattered to pieces. ¡°Selene!¡± [¡°Sniff. M, madam. The princess¡­..I was looking around for her¡­.just where did she wander off to¡­¡±] ¡°¡­..¡± Drop. Amidst Selene¡¯s muffled cries, I looked up at the rainy sky. As if asking me if I had fun while leaving behind a child, it was a sky that was grayed out and wounded. ¡°Madam, what do we do¡­It¡¯s all my fault ! My fault!¡± ¡°This is not the time to take responsibility. We have to find Haniel right now, hurry!¡± Holding Selene, I watched the raindrops getting thicker and thicker. She was so shocked that her beak was shaking. ¡°I, it¡¯s all my, I fell asleep and¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± I was mad at Selene, but it¡¯s not like I wasn¡¯t guilty either. If only I brought Haniel with me! I should¡¯ve at least closed the door firmly¡­ ¡°Catherine, what are you doing? Not coming out?.¡± Just the thought of the man waiting behind made me forget everything else in a rush. The sound of the door closing, the feeling of it touching my fingertips, all of those memories were shaky. ¡°Ah¡­¡± If I let my guard down, my chest and head became empty. It¡¯s not time for this. Let¡¯s go back the way we came. Even in the rain, the silhouette of his magnificent carriage was clear. ¡°Go back in there. Hurry.¡± ¡°I want to go too! I¡¯ll go with you to find him! I was with her until the end¡­¡± ¡°And so, did you find her?¡± ¡°¡­sniff.¡± Even when I look at Selene, who is hurt, I have no choice but to leave harshly. If I don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be able to endure it from now on. ¡°I can¡¯t take you with me now. I can¡¯t take responsibility. And Haniel might come back first, so you have to stay in the carriage. Got it?¡± ¡°But madam! What about¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look around this area. She¡¯s small and young so she won¡¯t have gotten that far. Fortunately¡­¡± I wonder if I should call this situation fortunate. There were few people on the street as the rain fell. All that was visible were people with umbrellas and the occasional passing carriage. The biggest danger to someone like us wasn¡¯t the weather or monsters, but humans. Now might be the best time. ¡°Hurry and get inside! You should at least be there, in case that man¡­¡± ¡°What? What did you say?¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. Hurry up and go.¡± In the middle of the road, I closed my eyes and turned away from the grandiose sign of a shop. Just think of one thing, Catherine. Just one thing. ¡°Damn.¡± Whether I get yelled at or scorned, no matter what happens, Haniel is always first. If I can¡¯t find Haniel, nothing else matters. Our princess, my daughter. Chapter 156 Even thinking about it made my heart feel torn as I ran into the torrenting rain. ¡°Daughter!¡± That was a constant feeling as I looked around on the streets or rummaged through piles of boxes, but it was especially hard when I checked the passing carriages on the main road. Instinctively, I jumped onto the road as something caught my eye in front of the approaching carriage from a distance. Skrrrt! I was hit by a fierce curse as loud as the clashing sound of metal. ¡°What the hell! Do you wish to die that much?! Crazy bitch!¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± No, it¡¯s not our baby. Even after being subjected to such curses, I¡¯ve never felt such relief. I collapsed on the ground as I saw the white envelope flying towards the front of the carriage, and the cursing inside only increased. Skrrrrt! I was splashed in muddy water as they were thrown by the large wheels, but I didn¡¯t even think about feeling cold. ¡°Excuse me, have you perhaps not seen our child, or rather, a small swan? It¡¯s really small, about the size of a fist and a white baby swan¡­¡± ¡°Get out of here. What a crazy woman.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I asked everyone on the street, but I didn¡¯t get any satisfactory answers. I don¡¯t even remember the gazes they all held towards me. A shameless woman drenched in the rain? A crazy bitch? Indeed, being crazy would¡¯ve been way less painful¡­ ¡°..Ah!¡± I was walking through the alleys, searching for my child, when suddenly I stopped in my tracks. Despite the heavy rain, a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning. ¡°What did you learn today, my princess?¡± ¡°Teacher told me to hide like this if I got lost!¡± Like this! She was shaking their body like a white ball and her voice was loud and clear. ¡°This is how you do it. You can¡¯t go to people! Even if they tell me to come, I won¡¯t go! Until mom comes, you have to huddle in the bushes¡­¡± The bushes! I need to find the bushes! As I searched around, looking dazed and confused, my already soaked hair whipped my face. It hurt, but it kept me focused. I grabbed my stretched out dress with one hand and ran in the opposite direction. Remembering the map of the swamp that Selene had stolen for me before, I looked for a reed bed that the baby swan might be hiding in. ¡°She¡¯ll be there. Of course she will.¡± She¡¯s very smart, after all. I may not believe myself, but I can believe Haniel. If it¡¯s what the adults say, if it¡¯s my words and the teacher¡¯s words, she is a child who nods her head from the get-go. Even if she doesn¡¯t like it, she eventually follows me like a good child when she goes to see her disliked older brother. The old, worn out shoes eventually came off in the pouring rain. When my bare feet touched the cold ground, I finally seemed to be coming to my senses. ¡°Daughter!¡± Even though I thought I was already running at full speed, my strength increased when I saw the bushes on the outskirts. After running and running, at some point, the sharp smell of blood reached the tip of my nose. ¡°Mom, Mom is here!¡± The wet reed in my hand was smoother than the dress strands earlier. And when I thought about whether our Haniel was inside, I felt more so. ¡°Please, let her be safe. Just let her be safe¡­ You just need to be safe. As long as you¡¯re safe, I¡¯ll be fine. All fine¡­ Even though I don¡¯t deserve to be your mother, you are so precious and valuable to me¡­ ¡°Still, I want to raise you¡­sniff.¡± My frozen cheeks were wet with hot tears. I thought I had lost all sensation in the fierce rain, but I felt a trickle of warmth ¨C and from that point on, I was no longer in control. ¡°Mother is here. Sniff, mother is here!¡± ¡°¡­Mommy?¡± ¡°Yes, mother¡­.my daughter!!¡± After chasing the faint echoes in the rain for a while, I stopped in the middle of the path again. It wasn¡¯t just an echo. It was definitely our Haniel! I knew without a doubt that our Haniel was somewhere in this desolate field, just like how I knew that she wasn¡¯t inside the carriage. ¡°Haniel! Where are you? Haniel!!¡± ¡°¡­Mommy.¡± ¡°Hhhph!¡± As soon as I heard a child¡¯s voice clearly, my suffocated breath bursted out. I felt a tiny, strange feeling but it was all good. Strange or not, Haniel is my cute little swan princess no matter what¡­ ¡°Mom? Mommy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I waved my arms and searched through the reeds, two arms like mine reached out to embrace me. The thin, white wings were not smooth, but her small and slender arms firmly embraced my neck. ¡°Sniff! Haniel was scared!¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 157 ¡°Repeat what you have just said.¡± Rashed¡¯s voice was quiet as he turned around. A deep blue coat reaching down to his knees, a sword at his waist, and a hand that held the sword tightly. At first glance, nothing had changed. ¡°W, well, I was told that the Duchess had gone to the carriage for a moment, but she didn¡¯t come back¡­.so I went out again, but she wasn¡¯t there either¡­¡± ¡°No. That was not what I asked.¡± Even as he looked at the woman lying at his feet, the man¡¯s head did not sway. Only his red eyes shone like diamonds that had been lit up. ¡°I am not asking where that woman went.¡± ¡°Y, your Highness.¡± ¡°Why¡­why isn¡¯t my woman, who I personally brought, not, here?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Within the slowly brewing anger of Rashid, the owner of the dressing room could not even breathe and trembled. For a moment, he felt like he didn¡¯t hear something threatening, but there was no time to turn a blind eye in front of the Emperor¡¯s arrogant eyes. ¡°Sniff¡± He thought today was a day of fortune, but it turned out to be a moment of luck that came just before dying. ¡°As soon as he was trapped in a corner, the owner felt unfair and lowered his head. ¡°S, she said she would be back soon. It didn¡¯t seem like she was going to leave. And this kind of situation is not very rare, I¡­¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Rashid¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at the drenched window and held his sword. ¡°Not very rare?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Ah, even when ladies come to get new dresses, they often hesitate because of their feelings for the deceased. ¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I thought that was the case, so I waited and waited¡­.but she never came¡­.your Majesty?¡± The progressively darkening look on Rashid¡¯s face suddenly turned cold. There was no longer any need to listen, it seemed, as he decided to confirm with his own eyes, and the rain was no longer of any significance in front of his determination. ¡°Your majesty! The umbrella¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Step back.¡± Rashid, who had already entered the rain, prohibited anyone from approaching him. He had always been this strict. And if anything came to his attention, he never took his eyes off of it. ¡°¡­.¡± But not today. He couldn¡¯t today. When he saw her in front of him wearing a dress the same color as Catherine¡¯s eye pupils, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else. Even though he forced her into the dressing room with some hesitation, his nervous steps couldn¡¯t stay in one place. So he went looking for other dresses. Instead of that ugly veiled black suit, he found something that sparkled, but had never existed before in his eyes. Dresses that would suit her, who was always dignified. ¡°¡­.¡± No, dresses that he wanted her to wear.. ¡°Catherine!¡± ¡°Sq, squawk!¡± Suddenly, as the door of the carriage was opened, the swan inside was startled and flapped its wings. But that was all. Even without wondering if it was a similar situation or a basket, it was clear that that was all. It was not clear how he knew, but he just knew. ¡°It¡¯s so warm when we¡¯re together. If we just hold each other¡­¡± Shhink! When Rashid unsheathed his sword, the swan sprawled on the floor in fear. Her attempts to convey innocence by shaking her head stopped and only clacked her beak in fear. ¡°¡­Selene.¡± ¡°Squeak!¡± When Rashid turned around towards her, the swan was so terrified that her eyes flew back into her skull. No, dying here won¡¯t do. As if trying to lift the eyelids of the near-dead swan, Rashid¡¯s silverlight sword inched closer. ¡°You are not allowed to die until you find your friend and her mother.¡± _________________ ¡°Haniel? Is that really you? Haniel?¡± ¡°Mooom.¡± A thin, young voice echoed in my embrace. I kept stammering the same question in disbelief but there was no denying it. ¡°M, my baby.¡± The sweet scent of my baby and the comforting temperature that filled my chest ¨C Haniel. It was really her. ¡°Mom, why did you come so late!¡± Her eyes, which were doll-like and innocent, were cruelly distorted. Tears streaming down my face, I hugged my child who was burying her head in my chest. ¡°What happened!? Huh? Why did you become a person again?¡± ¡°Sniff¡± ¡°Who did this? Do you remember who did it?¡± Even though I tried not to ask, since I didn¡¯t know what was going on, I didn¡¯t know where to start. Finally, was she free from the curse? But who, and why suddenly? My head was about to explode from the thoughts that assaulted my mind. ¡°D, did you meet Roam or something?¡± ¡°Roam oppa? No, no.¡± As she shook her head, her curly golden hair stroked my cheek. Even in this situation, it was so pretty ¨C I couldn¡¯t believe it and rubbed her cheek several times. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 158 ¡°Brother, go in now. I called out all the wizards in a hurry so don¡¯t worry.¡± Peyton pulled out his magic tool next to Rashid, who didn¡¯t say a word. He just finished sending it to the wizards, and there was still a blue light. ¡°I was still in the city, chasing after Roam, so I also told him the description of the Duchess. In black mourning¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°Stop saying that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Rashid¡¯s voice was as feisty as his first statement. However, without looking back at him once, his eldest brother¡¯s eyes appeared like twin blue pools seemed bottomless. Just like the lake he was seeing, a quiet wave shot up his eyes. ¡°Find her.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no lead, of course, but I¡¯m still going to look for her¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°Find her. Now.¡± What he meant was so clear. That was it. There was nothing more to say than this. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The more he did, the darker Peyton¡¯s face became. He looked fine on the surface, but he was already exhausted just by bringing Rashid here. ¡°Do it or I¡¯ll find her myself.¡± ¡°Please go back to the Winter Palace. If you step up, it¡¯ll only get more complicated. All the aristocrats in the North already know that you¡¯re here, and if you are doing this in the city, the aftermath will be unbearable.¡± ¡°Aftermath?¡± He laughed as if he had heard something funny. As soon as the dry, emotionless smile stopped, the temperature seemed to have fallen down a notch. ¡°What on earth can their ¡®aftermath¡¯ do to me?¡± ¡°Big brother.¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± His red eyes turned to the rain. Upon closer look, he appeared like he was on the verge of losing all reason. For Peyton, who had been on the battlefield with him before, his gaze was unrecognizable. Having swallowed a sigh, he was forced to come up with a last resort to hold Rashid down. ¡°This aftermath won¡¯t only come to you. It¡¯s going to be harder for the Duchess¡ª¡ª-¡± It was such a delicate insinuation that he couldn¡¯t even get angry. ¡°How dare you?¡± They were supposed to go back to the Winter Palace but they were walking along the path around the lake toward Duke Evendell¡¯s mansion, instead. He had clenched his fists as he looked at the house, which had no lights on as if it was uninhabited. ¡°Your Majesty! Third Brother! You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Tenon!¡± Peyton was more than ever welcomed by Tenon, who was riding his horse over the hill. He didn¡¯t come all the way here. Tenon also got off the horse with a grim face even though he found it first. ¡°Your Majesty. I thought you were at the Winter Palace, so I looked for you there for a long time, but Viscount Dion¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Did you find her?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Rashid¡¯s dangerous chuckle added to Tenon¡¯s silence. ¡°Whoa! What the hell is this woman¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°The road outside the city to the border has been blocked, just in case. Instead of releasing soldiers to create a disturbance in the city, we only searched around them but¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°Please continue.¡± ¡°A few people had told me that they had seen the Duchess. I didn¡¯t realize it at first because I was walking around like a crazy person in the rain, but on second thought, it was definitely the Duchess¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Rashid, who raised his head, slowly swept his face down. Tennon, who was upset even though it wasn¡¯t his fault, scratched his cheek for no reason. This was definitely an awkward story to tell in the future. ¡°She even jumped into a running carriage. Then, the witness said he just cried and laughed because it was clear that she was the Duchess from the description alone.¡± ¡°This woman of mine¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No matter how alert both of you are, how can you?¡± Rashid¡¯s anger flared and the two princes could no longer stop it. At this rate, the Emperor would still explode even if the Duchess returned. Even if they met their eldest brother in this state and get away with it, unscathed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the consequences. ¡°Catherine. Catherine.¡± Her name, which he chewed on word for word, contained feelings that he couldn¡¯t understand. Tenon looked at Peyton as if asking about what to do but there was no other way to handle this. In the end, Payton carefully recommended it. ¡°You should go back to the palace now, brother. Tenon and I will go out again and look around.¡± ¡°She really went too far this time.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough.¡± He was so desperate to death. The mallard, which had fallen down with a rope tied to its leg, got weighed down by its life and flapped its wings again. It didn¡¯t seem easy to pretend he was dead. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 159 *SIGH* Rashid¡¯s head turned at the clumsy appearance. As he looked down at the owner, his eyes burned with fire. At this rate, one person or animal will die before this day ends. ¡°Tennon, get my horse right now.¡± ¡°Are you going to find her yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It was a meaningless question. Tenon gulped at Rashid¡¯s cold gaze when he stared back at him. Peyton also realized that he could no longer tell Rashid the same words. The Emperor had already thrown away all consequences when he made that face. ¡°Get out of my way if you don¡¯t like it. I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Brother! Don¡¯t be like this. Please, just one more time¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°QUACK! QUACK!¡± Suddenly, a mallard sprang up and cried, and the heads of the three brothers turned at once. Rashid¡¯s eyes, as he guessed what, were the first to head down the road toward Duke Evendell¡¯s mansion. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Apparently, there was a slight sound of footsteps. When the main character appeared, even the heads of the princes headed there at once. ¡°B-Brother. The Duchess¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Get out of the way.¡± This time, it went without saying that he pushed him with his own arm first. Ugh. Tenon held his chest and inhaled from the shock.He admitted he was intense but he had never seen his brother act like this before. If he faced the Duchess in that state¡ª¡ª-The mere thought of it gave him chills. Whoever would die in the end, he tried to follow the Emperor urgently, hoping to stop him for now. ¡°Your Majesty, please speak¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Tenon!¡± This time Peyton took him by the arm. Tenon¡¯s eyes widened as if saying, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t we stop him for now?¡¯ but Peyton shook his head still. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Peyton didn¡¯t mean that he had an idea. However, no matter how much they tried to catch him, they knew there was no way to stop Rashid. No matter what kind of explanation they could come up with. No matter what they do. No matter who the other person was. ¡°Are you sleeping?¡± Haniel, who was asleep, was seduced in her arms. As a temporary measure, she ripped off the hem of the dress and wrapped it like a bag, but the little princess kept shaking, perhaps because of the shock of losing her mother. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. It¡¯s alright because we¡¯re back at home.¡± Seeing the sleeping child, she felt even more anxious so she deliberately talked louder. She talked like this all the way through the forest about how much her mother sought after her, waited, and missed her as they followed the migratory birds on the shortcut. How much her mother sought, how much she waited, and how much she missed. ¡°Ouch!¡± She felt a sharp pain on the soles of her feet. Whether it was because of a stone or a protruding branch, she had no idea. Come to think of it. She even lost her shoes. A silly laugh bubbling from her throat came to a step late. When Haniel got lost, all of her frozen senses seemed to return to their original places one by one. However, she didn¡¯t know why she thought of the purple shoes she had picked out herself and never even tried on, rather than the old ones she always wore. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He must be very angry. She didn¡¯t know what to ask but she became more anxious as she got closer to home. There¡¯s nothing more to talk about. She could clearly see that Rashid wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. He was a hot-tempered, completely self-centered man who lived alone in his own world. It was strange how a man like that had put up with her so far. *SIGH* She had no idea what to say. She thought she had a lot to say, but she didn¡¯t even know what to say first. ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯ The words she whispered to Haniel all the way here were actually the same as the words she had told herself. Still, she should apologize to him first. He was already gone today, so if she visited him tomorrow¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Oh.¡± As soon as she saw the man standing at the edge of the trail towards the mansion, her feet stopped. Her blank eyes and hardened lips stopped together. She didn¡¯t know what expression to make, so she just looked at him. Nevertheless, she recognized him at once by just the dim shading. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± His footsteps approaching her sounded louder than ever. The sound of the sword on Haniel¡¯s waist, which she was so afraid of, didn¡¯t disappear. It seemed light to say sorry to the Emperor who was forced to go to the city. Until his shoes came right in front of his eyes, all she could do was force them not to fall. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As he stood there, Rashid¡¯s red eyes skimmed her down. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 160 He slowly watched her from head to toe as if trying to see through her, not daring to miss a single spot. Her tangled messy hair, frayed decorations, the hem of her torn dress, and her bare feet were all messed up. It was the kind of look he had never seen before on any battlefield. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Was she so stupefied that she couldn¡¯t even say anything? That was him as well. Expecting him to shout out loud, Rashid seemed too quiet. He didn¡¯t even open his eyes or furrow his brows. He didn¡¯t even look like a living, breathing human being if it weren¡¯t for the loud growl in his throat. Indeed, it appeared like he didn¡¯t know what to say as much as she did. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, whatever you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As long as you came back alive.¡± He looked serious even though he had said something that didn¡¯t make sense. There was no other way to describe it than saying that his effort to repress his burning desire had been sincere. ¡°That¡¯s enough for me.¡± ¡°No, I am¡ª¡ªHuh?¡± With that firm conclusion, both feet suddenly felt lighter. No. Her whole wet body could be heard easily. It took her a while to fully recognize this situation even after realizing that she had been lifted in Rashid¡¯s arms. ¡°Why? What is this? I want to walk. I can walk! I¡¯ve come this far! Oops¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Even if she wanted to struggle, she couldn¡¯t move on her own for fear of dirt getting on him. And, if she wasn¡¯t mistaken, the more she twisted her body, the stronger his embracing arms seemed to constrict around her. ¡°W-What if someone sees us like this?¡± ¡°You care too much about that.¡± His gaze descended on her and stopped at her muddy toes. It didn¡¯t seem sarcastic, but what that look meant felt too clear. Was he going to be like this? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She was glad she didn¡¯t say it out loud. She couldn¡¯t answer back because he was right, but now Rashid wasn¡¯t even looking at her face. Keeping his gaze forward, he headed toward the annex with unstoppable steps. They were almost there. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the dark mansion. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± She hoped for Rashid to speak up but he remained silent. ¡°Hey! Thank you so much for taking me all the way here. I don¡¯t know what to say, but this situation must be¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°You can¡¯t pay me back. I won¡¯t even give you a chance.¡± He hit the nail on its head but he didn¡¯t stop walking. As soon as he started climbing the marble steps toward the front door, he grabbed his collar and shook it as if he were clinging to it once more. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it. It¡¯s frustrating that I can only say this but even if I want to do something, the circumstances are like that. So, if I visit you tomorrow and discuss it like last time and solve it rationally¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°You seem to be mistaken, Catherine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I am angry more than you can imagine. So, if you have a conscience, and your desire to relieve my anger is at least as big as your daughter¡¯s claws, which you hold like a treasure, then don¡¯t do anything stupid and take out the key.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Glancing up at his smirking red lips from below-sent chills down her spine. Through his hair, which was as drenched as hers, a red gaze finally found her. ¡°If you don¡¯t like that, I¡¯ll break this down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, madame. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Selene, who had been hesitant since this morning, approached her while holding Haniel. She was really surprised to see a kid who was louder than her, her boss, paying attention. ¡°Stop and sit down. There¡¯s also Haniel.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± The swan princess woke up from a sound sleep and felt rather dry again. She was worried about what would happen if she caught a cold, but fortunately, she was in good spirits. She even picked out a ribbon for her to wear. ¡°This one. Haniel, this one. This one! ¡°Well¡­¡± Even if she chose it, why did it have to be purple? She forced herself to laugh because she thought that her brother and sister were lifting and dropping human hearts in pairs. Still, she couldn¡¯t avoid the eyes looking up at her like this, so she cleaned up the hair around her neck first. ¡°But madame, what happened yesterday?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh no! Don¡¯t ask me something like that. There¡¯s a child¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m talking about how the princess turned into a human yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That¡¯s right. To avoid Selene¡¯s tilted head, she quickly wrapped the ribbon around Haniel¡¯s neck. That was also a matter that had to be addressed. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 161 ¡°I thought about it but I think it¡¯s probably because of the rain.¡± ¡°Rain?¡± ¡°Yes. Groam said he had never met anyone else and most of all, he became a swan again as soon as the rain stopped.¡± She thought about it all night, but the bottom line was that one. Haniel also turned her head, pouting, as if she understood the stories of adults quite well now. ¡°I¡¯m so happy! It¡¯s raining like this, but my legs and arms just grow back!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Biting her lips, she felt more and more convinced. She didn¡¯t know she would suddenly become a person. She was a little, no, she was very surprised, but she was glad to know it in advance. ¡°Still, you can¡¯t go out as much as you want like yesterday, Haniel. Not a chance. Got it?¡± ¡°Yeah. Nanny sleeps. ¡°Really? You couldn¡¯t help it because a nanny is sleeping?¡± She asked gently while glaring at Selene before lowering her head again. If she thought about it, it wasn¡¯t just Selene¡¯s fault for not locking the door properly. For now, it was best for her to tell Haniel again. ¡°No matter how much you like rain, if you go out as you please¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°No! No! No!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mom, I want to go! I want Mom happy!¡± She tilted her head and looked up at her with a child-like expression. ¡°I want to go. I want to be happy.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Mom! Why cry again? Why?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not crying.¡± She managed to get her smile back while brushing Haniel¡¯s head but she just scrunched her nose up as she cleared her throat several times. If she told her that she was crying because she was happy, will she still believe it? Raising this child once again made her realize who the happiest person was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡± ¡°Why? What are you sorry about?¡± This time she just laughed. As soon as she quickly tied the ribbon and hurried to go to school, Haniel got busy too. Even if she walked a little faster than usual, she was a child who became busy and flustered. ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t be late or you¡¯ll get in trouble. The captain is waiting for you!¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± She purposely smiled wider and prepared to see the child off. She had no reason to laugh after Haniel was gone anyway, but at least she wanted to show her smile all the time in front of the princess. ¡°Are you leaving already? Mom, then I¡¯ll go quickly and get another pair of shoes.¡± ¡°Shoes? Where did you get your mother¡¯s shoes? Isn¡¯t it hard to find?¡± Haniel, who was out at the door, listened to her while looking around for old shoes. That doesn¡¯t make her anything. She gave Selene another twinge and winked at her to take her out quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll find mine in the closet and come out soon. What¡¯s the matter¡± ¡°Mom! Brother is here! ¡°What?¡± Her step, which was about to enter the room halfway, paused. Haniel also flapped her wings through the gap in the open door. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± The pace increased sharply. She had already brushed her hair back, checked her clothes without realizing it, and tried to look a little better until the end¡ª¡ª¡ª *KOONG! KOOONGG!* ¡°¡­¡­.¡± As soon as she took her hand off her head, the demon barked over the door. Perhaps, she was the only one who realized that the brother she meant was this one. ¡°Mom, brother? The good brother is here!¡± ¡°Oh, yes. He¡¯s here.¡± She was embarrassed to get caught thinking what she was thinking. Haniel was lifted to be given a quick ride on the stable dog¡¯s back. What¡¯s wrong with her? If it was him, Haniel wouldn¡¯t have been this happy. Like she was the only one waiting for him. No, why him? And for what? ¡°Come on, Mom¡¯s fine! Don¡¯t worry about it! You should hurry up and go to school, too!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Haniel flapped her wings in confusion. She was also quick to notice perhaps because she was with Selene. Before tilting her head innocently again, she placed her on the back of the young demon dog with a face as calm as possible. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But it didn¡¯t go there as planned. To pick up the child, she had to take out something that was on it first. *KOONG! KOONG!* ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She swept the dog¡¯s barking head half-heartedly, saying, ¡°Did you find it just now?¡± and took out a purple box and lifted it. The smooth texture she had touched yesterday melted into her fingers as if it had been waiting. However, even that pretty satin that would color even a troubled mind couldn¡¯t hide the rough and meaningful words written on it. {To the living. By the living.} No. What was she going to do now? It was meaningless pretending to be calm anymore as she hugged her knees with the purple box. What¡¯s the point of sending this all of a sudden? She left him like that yesterday. ¡°I thought I hid something great.¡± Rashid didn¡¯t even step in properly, considering that he had opened the door of someone else¡¯s house on his own. One step, no, two steps. He took just two steps and stopped all actions. ¡°And I¡ª¡ª-¡± She thought he had done something great. She held her head up with a smile. To be sure, she wasn¡¯t in a situation where he was going to do anything yesterday, but it was true that she was nervous. To be honest, a guy who looked like that got so wet while he was carrying her. Who wouldn¡¯t think of that? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Man! He was a real bad guy! The more she thought about it, the worse Rashid became. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 162 Either start it or end it! No. She wasn¡¯t asking him to do anything, but she meant¡ª¡ª-Anyway, if he made the mother of a fine child a little bothered, the sin is obvious. It wasn¡¯t¡ª¡ª ¡°Why are you being like this again?¡± She glanced at the grinning Selene and pushed her butt. She was as good as she was yesterday and she got completely revived in one day which made her feel so energized. ¡°Am I really lucky? It felt good to be with you again.¡± ¡°You did something wrong again, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, what do you mean by that, My Lady? Are you doubting my loyalty to my mistress?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t said that, I would have believed it.¡± There must be something. Come to think of it, Selene¡¯s behavior was as suspicious as hers. Maybe, it was because she lost Haniel yesterday while she had fallen asleep and she felt down about it. Now that she saw it, she seemed too obedient. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, I believed in you from the beginning.¡± ¡°You? Believing me?¡± Who was the one who threw herself into the lake for bringing Haniel? She shrugged as her mind brought back old memories, but Selene continued clinging to her legs. This duck¡¯s shamelessness was unrivaled. ¡°People would say that I am a kite that has fallen off the string after I stood up for the madam but they will find out sooner or later who the real winner is.¡± ¡°Can you please elaborate so I can understand? What do you mean by a kite with a broken string?¡± ¡°That was until yesterday. The game has changed now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hey! She wasn¡¯t in the position to laugh ¡®fufufu¡¯ as if she was some kind of a scheming girl instead of a duck. [Please stay away from me.] She tried shaking her foot, but it was impossible. In the end, she gave up first and rested her chin on it again. As she looked at the disturbingly pretty box, she started tickling her toes. ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t you try that on?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of wearing them?¡± ¡°Your Majesty chose it himself and sent it to you. If you don¡¯t wear it, your Majesty may cut them all down again. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± For pointing out that he¡¯s a tyrant. Other men would be sad or upset but Rashid preferred getting even after destroying them or setting them on fire. As she predicted the man¡¯s next move even if he wasn¡¯t there, she laughed out loud. ¡°You know, Selene¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about asking me, ¡®What does it mean when a man gives you this?¡¯ Stop it. You will have to face my wrath if you do.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sorry. Selene¡¯s beak touched her knees. It had already gotten to this point so she couldn¡¯t ignore it anymore. How could she manage to know everything in that complicated man¡¯s head if this kind of situation derives more questions? The noble emperor of Rohan had no intention of killing her and he didn¡¯t hate her too much, and¡ª¡ª ¡°Ah, this beauty!¡± What to do with this cursed beauty? Whether Selene was indignant or not, she covered her face with both hands again. This girl really¡ª¡ª There were occasional moments where she was startled, but now it was really clear. She didn¡¯t know anymore. If she stretched out, this place could become the ¡®reading point¡¯ where she had felt angry countless times. ¡°Madam, what are you hesitating about? You said you need to gain strength anyway.¡± ¡°Yes. I did.¡± ¡°Are you hesitating because you¡¯re afraid that you¡¯re using Your Majesty?¡± ¡°I am?¡± She must have read a lot of things in the past. She snorted at Selene, telling her not to say nonsense. No matter how interested the man might seem to be, there were things to be mistaken about and things that shouldn¡¯t. To think she was using Rashid, it would have been cleaner to trick Tenon, instead. ¡°Don¡¯t even talk nonsense. Do you think I would do that?¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem? ¡®Alas! How dare you, the noble Emperor¡ª¡ª¡¯ Is it something like this?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t make any more sense,¡± She laughed heartily. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t have money but don¡¯t I have beauty? I don¡¯t want to be bothered anywhere. To be honest, if he treats me with money like how he does with Lania, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand next to me right now.¡± ¡°Ah. Since you¡¯re like this, I think you¡¯re getting along with His Majesty more and more!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Selene¡¯s sincere admiration felt like a curse but it doesn¡¯t matter because it was actually true. There were many days where she was hidden in a black veil and she already had enough. She hadn¡¯t been able to polish her appearance because of that. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 163 ¡°No matter how much I think about it, there¡¯s nothing about me that he¡¯s really into, is there?¡± ¡°My Lady.¡± ¡°Except for being a cursed widow and having his brother secretly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now both she and Selene had become solemn. She stretched her toes under the knees she was hugging for no reason and her chest rang. ¡°Even if I just had a little bit of money a descendant of a good family, a glamorous dating career, or something like that, I wouldn¡¯t even think about it this far.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What about our Haniel?¡± There was something else that made her hesitate more than the practical problems she had to deal with. She bit her lip while holding the colorful ribbons in the basket. ¡°I am Haniel¡¯s mother, but His Majesty is Haniel¡¯s older brother. She ran away saying she didn¡¯t like his older brother, but now she would come and talk to me about His Majesty. What a shock!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s like a shitty family show.¡± ¡°Hey, you!¡± Indeed, she was grateful that Selene was already cursed. Because she didn¡¯t have the ability to curse, there would have been no other way than to kill her. ¡°Anyway, Haniel is my top priority.¡± ¡°Oh, that! His Majesty said before that he would compensate you if things went well! Can¡¯t you do something with that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard him say he would do anything. If you speak well to him about that, our curses¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s already been decided. It¡¯s not a wish that can be used carelessly.¡± Selene cut it off before she had any false hopes. It can¡¯t be that easy to break the curse. It might work out for Haniel, whose curse had been caused by her brother¡¯s hand, so it¡¯s more likely to be some other magic than a curse. Sadly, the same situation wouldn¡¯t apply to her. It was a force that existed that shouldn¡¯t have. Every family around the lake unanimously said they didn¡¯t even know the black magician existed until they were directly cursed. The same was true for the Duke of Evendell and even the knights traveling on the continent. Nobody knew how Rania gained such power, but unless there was visible evidence, she won¡¯t believe what they were saying. Even if we announce that we are cursed, it will be over if Rania gets away with it. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a black magician or what, just send her far away and it¡¯s over if you insist. She must be feeling so confident now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. The princess doesn¡¯t have the power herself, so we can investigate. But wouldn¡¯t the Emperor have a man under him who can solve the curse?¡± ¡°If there was such a person, why couldn¡¯t Haniel find him yet?¡± It was said that all the royal wizards were brought here to find Roam¡¯s traces. Thanks to that, she also felt guilty for saving herself for a while but from what she had seen so far, it didn¡¯t seem to work. ¡°I think the royal mages might not even know about forbidden things like black magic. Their powers must be completely different. ¡­¡­. ¡°At the same time, if I said that Rania cursed us without any proof, who would people believe? She might still have the upper hand unless I turn into a black swan right in front of them.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to be miserable, but that was how the world worked. It wasn¡¯t something she experienced once or twice in her previous life. What people usually believed in was power and money. The obscure truth that only she knew was only visible to her like the clothes of a naked Emperor. Period. ¡°What year is Lania? You shouldn¡¯t come forward recklessly until you find proper evidence.¡± Once was a mistake. The second time would be entirely her fault. At the same time, Selene¡¯s expression became so serious that she burst into laughter at last. ¡°Well, I¡¯m Haniel¡¯s mother anyway. I don¡¯t want to think of anything else. Any other mothers would have.¡± ¡°Any other mother?¡± ¡°A real mother.¡± Selene had shut up. She felt so awkward that she started touching her nose. Its twitching was something she wasn¡¯t accustomed to. ¡°Was the princess really that pretty?¡± ¡°Yes. Very pretty.¡± She took a deep breath as she tried to think of an explanation. Curly blonde hair clung to her plump cheeks. Her ruby-red eyes twinkled, and her purring lips and fingers searched for her. She shook her head without thinking over each one of them. ¡°Anyway, she¡¯s so cute¡­ and pretty.¡± ¡°Is there something that you¡¯re worried about?¡± ¡°I want to be a real mother for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing her change into a human made her feel both happy and scared. How could she leave such a pretty sight? Every time she thought of Haniel, she was disappointed in herself to the extent that she couldn¡¯t be happy even though it was only natural. That¡¯s why she wanted to live for Haniel fully despite the time she had left. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. I know I can¡¯t be someone¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Selene crawled after her when she got up first. Why? She looked at her with nonchalance but Selene was serious. ¡°I know how you feel, madam. You¡¯ll have to take revenge on Lady Lania properly. The princess¡¯s mother will have to work hard too.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard everything. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Still, after telling it all, she felt comfortable, so she lowered her guard and shrugged her shoulders. However, Selene¡¯s obsession and bone marrow skills were at a level. ¡°¡ª¡ªBut why do you leave your heart out for His Majesty?¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 164 ¡°Your Majesty the Emperor, blessed by Supreme Lord Therez¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°Done.¡± Rashid, who had just come out of his bedroom, waved a hand at the sorcerer kneeling in front of him. The princes who had brought the wizard also held their breaths as they could see that they hadn¡¯t been able to sleep even a wink. ¡°Your Majesty, this is the man I told you about last time. This is Vincent, the wizard whom Cedric called from the Mage Tower. He knows a lot about black magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rashid, who passed by without giving him much of a glance, showed interest for the first time. The loosely opened front of his red robes similar to the color of his eyes overwhelmed them in a different sense. ¡°Looking back, I think I said something like that.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ve been feeling tired lately, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with making it clear, older brother. According to Cedric, he is one of the most outstanding talents in the Mage Tower.¡± ¡°That is an undeserved compliment. If you think I¡¯m the most outstanding wizard in the Mage Tower, it¡¯s not¡ª¡ªOh, sorry, Your Majesty.¡± Nervousness made him utter such unsolicited words so he lowered his head at the Emperor¡¯s piercing red gaze. Rashid, who turned around while tying the strings of his robe, raised his arrogant lips. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It is true considering the current situation.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°One of them must be my missing brother. Is that why no one is making a fuss about finding him?¡± Was that guy like that? Displeased with this new realization, Rashid picked up a bottle of brandy from the shelf and poured it into his glass. A bitter smile spread across his lips as if he was reliving forgotten memories while drinking strong alcohol in the morning. ¡°Can you use black magic then?¡± ¡°Oh no, Your Majesty! Using black magic is strictly forbidden in the Magic Tower. Even if you try, one shouldn¡¯t learn it carelessly unless one has a natural talent and magical lineage like Prince Loam, or else it will destroy you.¡± ¡°Then, he really¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Your Majesty! Even if Prince Loam didn¡¯t use such magic, he has already reached the highest level. What would you do such a thing for, anyway?¡± He denied it as if it was his business, saying that it was absurd. Peyton, who was watching the scene, showed a sense of pride. ¡°Your Majesty. Seeing as how much he¡¯s taking sides, Loam must be doing quite well in the Mage Tower.¡± ¡°Does such a brat go into hiding with a three-year-old child?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Emperor¡¯s smirk seemed brutal as he held the brandy fluttering in his goblet. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s alright. Just hurry up and catch him.¡± ¡°But I just brought him here. How about letting him see your condition, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°What about my condition?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Rashid, who emptied his glass, swept his fingers through his hair. His tired complexion was uncharacteristically disheveled. Almost decadent. The sorcerer swallowed his saliva and bent his knees as if to plead. ¡°Even though I¡¯m not good enough, it would be difficult for the Empire if Your Majesty was affected by black magic. Even if I can¡¯t solve it all at once, if I just know the nature of the power, I might be able to come up with a trick¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°No need.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That person will be captured again, anyway.¡± Or he could be wrong. Scowling, Rashid slowly approached the window. As he stood in the bright light, his pale countenance was revealed. However, rather than simply looking tired, he looked like he was in agony that no one had ever seen before. ¡°To hell with you!¡± His ludicrous laugh passed along with the drink. The heat from the moment he entered Katherine¡¯s house last night was still lingering throughout his body. Exactly two steps, that¡¯s the limit. ¡°Why are you like that?¡± A witch would always be a witch. Why were those eyes, peeking through those wet bangs, so innocent only at that moment? In any case, there was no disagreement that this was all her fault. ¡°If you still have time for that then you should prioritize tracking down Loam. I mean, don¡¯t even come here.¡± ¡°The situation is not that good, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°According to Cedric¡¯s message, one of the wizard apprentices in the royal palace has gone missing. It appears like he has been gone for several days, but I am worried that the traces of magic have also disappeared.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not easy about it?¡± Rashid leaned back in disapproval. Even if that person was just an apprentice, he was also a member of the royal palace. It wasn¡¯t something to be dismissed. ¡°I don¡¯t think he was beaten by anyone who uses magic whether it was a higher-ranking wizard or a traitor.¡± ¡°Oh, that can¡¯t be. All of the mages gathered in the north, including their leader, Cedric, swore blood oaths to the Grand Magician, Kerhan. If a mage broke his oath and attacked his allies, there should have been a change in his body.¡± ¡°Then, isn¡¯t there a guy who could be exempted from that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 165 ¡°one of them must be my brother. he also has the blood of our uncle, so he doesn¡¯t have to swear by it.¡± in all cases, rashid made no exceptions, regardless of what happened to his biological brother. older brother! tenon and peyton looked at each other in astonishment as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they just heard but rashid was relaxed the whole time. perhaps, the anguish he felt yesterday was so strong that everything else seemed so insignificant as if they were made of dust. ¡°search the border more thoroughly. if one is bringing children, there will be restrictions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± however, he didn¡¯t forget that even such a younger brother couldn¡¯t have run away alone without haniel. this was the only reason that rashid believed that it could also be haniel¡¯s work. ¡°the banquet will begin soon, and the hunting festival is not far off. the entire northern region will be noisy, so make sure there is no other movement in the gap.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty. i will carry out your majesty¡¯s command with the oath i made to the magic tower and my loyalty to the rohan empire.¡± ¡°are you that confident?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°how can i trust your skills?¡± when rashid, who was leaning over as if teasing him, clasped his hands, the furious young wizard felt insulted. of course, he couldn¡¯t show off in front of the emperor, but he couldn¡¯t suppress the itch in his way. ¡°drop anyone, please. i¡¯ll try anything except black magic to harm others. maybe, we can change the color of the winter palace or get rid of this wall. i can even fill the cup your majesty is holding¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°what are you going to do?¡± he released his hand. rashid took the bottle of brandy and showed it to him. he was a person who didn¡¯t fit in with the concept of not only sleeping but also needing something. ¡°well, then. it would be nice if you can guess something correctly.¡± ¡°what do you mean, your majesty?¡± the wizard¡¯s gaze followed rashid¡¯s nonchalant nod and carefully looked toward the balcony as well. his red robes and flowing blonde hair, along with the brandy, swayed dizzyingly. ¡°what color will be the shoes of the first woman who would be appearing at the lake today?¡± ¡°is that true? is this really about who loses to whom?¡± laughter erupted in the study of duke evendell¡¯s residence. lania¡¯s face would turn red every time she asked her the same question over and over again. standing next to the pale ronin, her peachy cheeks looked even brighter. ¡°are you sure they¡¯re talking about the princess in the royal palace?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t we hear it together?¡± of course, she heard it but it was sparsely mixed with screams. ronin laughed bitterly, wiping the blood from her mouth. it had been a long time since she felt so happy to see high and mighty lania, who didn¡¯t show her emotion, react like this. ¡°what else do i say? yes. it can¡¯t be that his majesty is coming to promote something with it, right?¡± ¡°you seem quite happy.¡± ¡°yes. why didn¡¯t i think of that? there¡¯s no other woman like her who¡¯s easy and good at making excuses. i¡¯m the one who knows it the best¡ª¡ª¡± she would normally open her fan to cover her laughter, but this time she was so excited that she forgot about that too. ¡°that¡¯s why his majesty seemed to have stayed here under the pretext of her, and gone out to find the precious princess. what should i do?¡± ¡°do you have anything in mind?¡± ¡°me? if there was, i would have offered it to you way earlier.¡± at one point, she turned slowly with a look of regret. her steps toward the mirror became graceful. ¡°if so, how pleased his majesty would have been. well, it¡¯s not too late now.¡± ¡°are you going to find her yourself?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t openly say that i¡¯m going to do it in secret, but i just can¡¯t let it go, can i? however, it is also difficult if words leak out after i inform the knights about it .¡± ¡°i can¡¯t curse anyone anymore in a reckless manner. it wasn¡¯t a big fuss in the past because i didn¡¯t have any family members to find all the things i¡¯m holding in the lake since i¡¯d killed them after all but i¡¯ll be in trouble if i touch other things for no reason and go out to find them.¡± ¡°if so, who would dare have anything to do with you, princess?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. who would dare me?¡± standing in front of her mirror, princess lania lazily inspected the jewelry adorning her hair with satisfaction as she planned her next steps. ¡°anyway, his majesty seemed to have kept that woman by her side for the same reason as i, but she didn¡¯t even know she was being used. she misunderstood his intentions so she¡¯s running around alone.¡± ¡°after being alone for a long time, wouldn¡¯t it be that she¡¯s just missing someone¡¯s affection?¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. it¡¯s enough to dare to have feelings for such a noble person.¡± with a clink, she roughly pulled out a jewel adorning her silver hair. ronin, who was watching her from the back with a strange look, smiled and approached. ¡°still, you won¡¯t be able to go and warn them yourself.¡± ¡°i suppose so. if i do, i will tell his majesty as it is. is that all a woman with no other back belly has to do?¡± ¡°then what are you going to do if he can¡¯t find her himself or scold the duchess?¡± ¡°of course, i should let his majesty speak directly to me.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± Chapter 166 princess lania looked into the mirror and met ronin¡¯s eyes. ever saw him, his paler complexion and red lips gave her goosebumps, but he was a man who brought her more luck than anyone else. of course, she would also be that kind of person to this man. ¡°your majesty would have chosen the most plausible and stubborn duchess in name, as a shield, but who do you think would be next if he realized it was the wrong choice?¡± ¡°next to the duchess, huh? of course, it will be you, princess.¡± ¡°that¡¯s it, then.¡± ¡°but what are you going to do? it probably won¡¯t be easy to convince him since he won¡¯t budge on anything, either.¡± ¡°i heard that his majesty¡¯s banquet will be held soon at the winter palace.¡± already intoxicated by her reflection in the mirror, lania slowly lifted her head which made her silky silver hair flutter. in her head, the process of capturing and caring for the young princess to gain the emperor¡¯s trust had already been completed. ¡°it¡¯s a good opportunity to show you what i¡¯m capable of.¡± *jingle* this time, the amethyst decoration she removed rolled straight on the floor this time. lania, who gently stepped on top of it, burst into a joyful laugh. ¡°how greedy and sinister you are!¡± ¡°darren, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°duchess, you look even more beautiful today!¡± ¡°oh my gosh!¡± she placed her hands on her burning cheeks to hide her smile. she didn¡¯t want to make it obvious in front of other parents that she liked it too much but if this worked out as she thought, she didn¡¯t have to come this far. ¡°i¡¯m just wearing what i always wear!¡± ¡°no. your beauty is too elegant, duchess! what more can i say?¡± ¡°teacher!¡± she couldn¡¯t help but fan the shy smile stretching her cheeks because she was having too much a great time. selene would probably beat this man¡¯s chest openly if she was in her place but catherine desperately needed this gentleman¡¯s sugar coating right now. why? that way, she could prove that rashid¡¯s words hadn¡¯t shaken her at all. she would still be able to feel her heart flutter even if he wasn¡¯t the guy in front of her. ¡°duchess, are you alright? even if you are weak, you might collapse like this.¡± ¡°what?¡± in that regard, no other person was more suitable than darren. he was the only person who could instill an image of a true gentleman in a single mother who wasn¡¯t immune to males. ¡®alright. if i want to make my heart flutter, i should be thrilled by a man like this instead of having sleepless nights because of that blunt and brutal emperor.¡¯ rashid could make her heart pound hard but she would have to take that secret to the grave. it was so embarrassing to admit that the man who made her heart flutter for the first time in her past and present life was a tyrant. ¡°mom, why don¡¯t you come get me?¡± ¡°yes, baby.¡± perhaps, that¡¯s why her lies came out so well today. as she picked up haniel, who was rushing towards her, she rubbed her cheek against her face as if she had been waiting to do so. this moment was the happiest and most overwhelming experience she had in her life. yes. she didn¡¯t need anything more! with such a warm existence, what else could she ask for? ¡°you¡¯re late, catherine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± the mother and daughter, who were both moved by the reunion in half a day, felt a twinge in an instant. haniel was also trembling as she was and their cheeks separated from each other. ¡°your majesty, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°i thought you weren¡¯t coming so i have to come here.¡± ¡°i sent a message in advance that maybe i can¡¯t make it today. i¡¯m a little under the weather.¡± ¡°what are you doing here?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡®get your eyes and ears together, catherine.¡¯ if she had a crush on a man like this for a moment, her five senses were truly at fault. it was a pity that he couldn¡¯t easily fix it on this day because she had been living like this until now. ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± rashid also looked regretful when his cold gaze landed on her old shoes. it wasn¡¯t even her fault but it was the kind of look that made her feel like she had committed a big mistake. *cries* ¡°¡­¡± just when she was in the mood to cry, her princess burst into tears instead of her. she had been fluttering her feathers since earlier, so she must have been recharging her energy to wail. ¡°older brother is here! he¡¯s here again! he¡¯s not supposed to be here, but he¡¯s here again!¡± ¡°fail, oppa, come again! come on again! oppa, i¡¯m not going to come, but i¡¯m going to come again!¡± ¡°ah, baby.¡± ¡°he keeps coming! this is our house. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.¡± for haniel, it was a situation that made her go crazy enough to throw a tantrum. she had been able to get here by running away from a faraway place but the next day, a human, called her eldest brother, visited without permission. still, seeing what haniel was doing, it seemed like the right decision to close her heart. ¡°why is your daughter like that again?¡± ¡°oh, no big deal. ah, by the way, this is mr. darren i mentioned before. no, darren¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± Chapter 167 ¡°greetings to his majesty, the noble emperor who is protected by the lord therez.¡± as expected, the way he talked was always full of dignity. feeling proud again, she glanced down at darren. everyone else ran away as soon as rashid appeared, but darren stayed by her side. perhaps, because he was determined to look good, even that was as reassuring as a knight on a white horse. ¡°is this the man you were talking about last time?¡± of course, to rashid, darren was just the main source of the loud noise. ¡°i don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°your majesty.¡± even if she wanted him to talk, he couldn¡¯t be the famous tyrant if he was a great man who would listen to such a thing. didn¡¯t his crazy manners tell her not to mess with him the moment he lifted her and hugged her yesterday? at the same time, her heart pounded even more and it drove her insane. anyway, she must break this illusion. after all, she also wanted to be swayed by a well-mannered gentleman like other noble ladies. no, it had to be. ¡°what are you talking about? there is no such elegant and classy swan anywhere in this lake! look at this figure. this swan is a god that any woman in the world would like!¡± ¡°ha! is that so?¡± rashid¡¯s sarcasm to her sarcasm made her feel awkward. once triggered, there is no end to this man¡¯s attitude. ¡°anyway, since your majesty has seen him, please treat him well. if you have any questions, you can ask me.¡± ¡°how long do swans live?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°just because. i wonder if these males might die suddenly one day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± as rashid¡¯s eyes fixed on darren, their eyes glittered dangerously for a moment. that murmur was inaudible but he wasn¡¯t a man who would say anything meaningless. ¡°why are you like that again? he will live 100 years for a very, very long time, so please don¡¯t say such things!¡± ¡°what did i do? i¡¯m just asking what i was curious about.¡± it was only then that rashid, who squinted his eyes, showed his animal instincts. please! with a feeling of foreboding, she begged darren to stay away from him, but the more she did, the more he growled like a ferocious beast. in the end, he grabbed her arm and pulled her away, but she didn¡¯t back down gracefully. ¡°if you beg him so much.¡± ¡°y-your majesty?¡± she looked up at him, who was standing next to her, and swallowed dryly. she was close enough to hear his breaths so even if her body turned, there was no choice but to bump into him. ¡°hey, stay over there for a while. just one step to the side.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°why are you asking me why?¡± ¡®what if darren misunderstands you?¡¯ embarrassed, she brushed her hair out of habit. as soon as she tried shaking her head while looking at darren, who was staring at her sadly, she heard a lion¡¯s roar of anger in her ears again. ¡°mom! teacher darren will fight for you. he likes you so much.¡± ¡°baby.¡± ¡°what are you doing? compete for mom.¡± ¡®wasn¡¯t this a little too impulsive, princess?¡¯ catherine was so embarrassed that she almost burst into laughter, but haniel was serious all throughout. her cheeks had puffed out like a puffer fish, and her trembling body couldn¡¯t be so sincere. ¡°teacher!¡± haniel said loudly. ¡°my mom is pretty, right? leina¡¯s mom, isn¡¯t she very, very beautiful?¡± ¡°of course, you would have thought that way but¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± mom! teacher darren likes you. think about it.¡± ¡°oh!¡± where did she learn to interpret that? haniel, who was conveying the message while turning her head around as she wished, soon, sniffed her nose. then, she grabbed the hem of her skirt and dragged her to mr. darren. ¡°mom! emperor brother! please don¡¯t fight. teacher darren is the best! wha¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°who says so?¡± but to hand her over at will, haniel had forgotten someone else. huh? even though she whimpered, she couldn¡¯t go any further. when she looked back, she came face to face with a blazing mallard. ¡°nanny, don¡¯t you think so? my mother and teacher darren¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°no! it can¡¯t be! over my dead body.¡± selene grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled her closer. it was good that she stopped darren before he was pushed around, but selene¡¯s choice was even more impulsive. ¡°come on, your majesty. here you go. get this here!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°take her away quickly. my mistress, please clean this up. one is perfect for a tyrant while the other is for a widow. go far away and make sure you two live together for 100 years!¡± *quack-quack* selene, who changed the situation at will, but the hem of her skirt and dragged it to rashid¡¯s feet. what the hell were they doing? as she watched the tug-of-war between the baby swan and the mallard thoughtlessly grabbing her skirts, she stretched out her arms. ¡°t¡ªthat¡¯s enough!¡± ¡®you¡¯re going to rip my clothes off, you guys.¡¯ ¡°please stop, both of you.¡± why is everyone making a fuss over her? gritting her teeth, she looked back at the children one by one and let out a laugh. selene let go of the hem of her skirt first. however, haniel started shedding tears like chicken droppings. ¡°m-mother! my mother¡ª¡ª¡± *cries* ¡°pretty mom argues with the stubborn teacher. but unlike bad brother, gentle brother doesn¡¯t fight back. so, mom won¡¯t scold him as much.¡± Chapter 168 teacher darren, who was by her side, embraced haniel under his wings as if saying, ¡°it¡¯s all right, duchess.¡± darren¡¯s sweet eyes turned to hers, and she buried her head from the uncontrollable humiliation. ¡°is your daughter doing this again because she¡¯s ill?¡± ¡°¡­¡± rashid wasn¡¯t really the type to just sit back and watch. it appeared like he was holding it back while watching haniel, who was chirping and trembling. when the child managed to bite the hem of her dress and delivered her to mr. darren, the man¡¯s patience broke right there. ¡°you really don¡¯t care much about her. why would you entrust your daughter to something like that?¡± ¡°something like that?¡± ¡°he¡¯s a wild bird. how do you know what he¡¯s going to do to a kid like haniel?¡± ¡°¡­¡± was he acting jealous right now? tired of all the nonsense, she looked up at him. now wasn¡¯t the time for the king of beasts seated at the top of the food chain to accuse someone as wild. she was upset but she burst into laughter, instead. ¡°if you had always been nice to haniel, your majesty, she would have gone to her older brother first.¡± ¡°you¡¯re really going to do this here?¡± ¡°m-mother?¡± *thud* haniel, who had surpassed the limits of a three-year-old¡¯s patience and tolerance, fell again. fortunately, she didn¡¯t sink in the water like last time. however, this wasn¡¯t be good for the little princess¡¯ emotions at all. in the end, teacher darren carried haniel with his wings and urgently transported her out of the bush. ¡°ah. so that¡¯s how it is.¡± rashid murmured while scowling at darren. his glowers were knife-like as if he was looking at an enemy general. ¡°are you really sending her that way? what if something happens to the child?¡± ¡°that¡ª¡ª¡± she didn¡¯t think that was what his majesty would say. his three-year-old sister, who had run away from him all the way here, ended up getting caught in a vase so where the hell did he get that confidence to say that? i glanced at him without hesitation. ¡°i¡¯d rather call the councilor. if she really dies¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°don¡¯t get carried away and think of your daughter.¡± ¡°i¡¯m thinking of her so enough!¡± ¡°¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t think of this anymore because she was too overwhelmed. she had lived a life where that particular child was her everything. as she let out a bitter laugh, rashid withdrew his murderous scowl from darren. ¡°why? do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± she quickly noticed something. it was all too sudden but she said it first. an opportunity was an opportunity. as she noted haniel, who seemed so surprised today, she decided to organize things as soon as possible. ¡°hey. i-i don¡¯t know how how this would sound like but¡­ i wonder if i should keep my distance from you from now on, your majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± *swoosh* as the emperor¡¯s body turned obliquely, the fluttering movement of his platinum-colored hair overlapped with last night¡¯s appearance. ¡°why would you?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you just do as you please?¡± really, how could he talk like that? perhaps because she was with darren just a moment ago, she had no choice but to compare them even more. she held her breath for a moment and looked at him again. where and how should she start? looking back, it wasn¡¯t that he had confessed to her openly or that both of them were intimate. but every time catherine went out of her way to put some distance between them, there was no place where she couldn¡¯t feel a tingling sensation, such as the nape of her neck or her cheeks. apparently theie atmosphere was like that! she wasn¡¯t an idiot, and if she didn¡¯t know what rashid looked like last night, it wouldn¡¯t make sense. if another man did it, she would rather dismiss it simply as passing kindness. but because it was rashid, she couldn¡¯t even be mistaken. ¡°if you¡¯re not going to tell me, i¡¯ll talk about your daughter¡¯s education again..¡± ¡°oh, no! then, please do, your majesty.¡± after struggling to avoid his urging gaze, she pretended to be in his position as much as possible and took her luck off. ¡°no matter how much i help his majesty with his work, others don¡¯t know about it. others might misunderstand.¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°what kind of misunderstanding?¡± was he really asking because he absolutely had no idea? catherine rubbed her eyes in frustration. having to say these words with her own mouth made her feel like dying too. ¡°it¡¯s a common misconception, your majesty. if a man and a woman stick together for too long, there will be a lot of stories about this and that. it won¡¯t be good for you either.¡± ¡°me?¡± ¡°my reputation is kind of like that. i¡¯m a widow, and i don¡¯t really have anything¡­¡­.¡± ¡°is that any fault of yours?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°is there any of that you wanted?¡± ¡°¡­¡± even though she thought this wasn¡¯t the case, she was almost shaken for a moment. of course, it¡¯s not her fault that she was in this position, but he was the first person to have said that. ¡°are you awake? come on, you need to drink some water.¡± ¡°raise your head! you¡¯re going to be exhausted at this rate!¡± ¡°oh, my god. elder brother, were you¡¯re angry at that time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 169 then, the drama queen, haniel, who stretched out in the grass again, caught her eye. poor thing~ seeing mr. darren cool her face with his wings and selene putting wet grass on her forehead, catherine, too, couldn¡¯t help but hold on to her heart. ¡°uh, anyway, i fully understand your majesty¡¯s feelings.¡± ¡°you know about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± somewhat intrigued, rashid settled his chin on one hand. his unique yet lazy countenance made her feel like he wanted to eat her alive with his intense stares. ¡°what do you know about my heart?¡± ¡°¡­¡± why would he ask her that? she really wanted to hit her head somewhere, but their gazes didn¡¯t seem to want to let each other go. if the story had already begun, it was better to close her eyes and end it quickly. ¡°you¡¯re also a man after all, your majesty.¡± ¡°i suppose so.¡± ¡°well, i¡¯ve actually been a little¡ªpretty, right?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ .¡± wow, he didn¡¯t always answer when this happens. catherine was the type of woman to blurt out whatever once she lost her mind. anyway, that must have drove the emperor insane. she closed her eyes, and added brazenly. ¡°so, uh¡­ what should i say? you¡¯re alone with me in this quiet place, so i understand that you might be attracted to my beauty more and more because you are in your prime and unlike the capital, there are not many aristocratic ladies¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± catherine heard the emperor chuckle. ¡±are you laughing at me right now?¡± ¡°hahahahahaha!¡± when she opened her eyes, rashid avoided her gaze in an instant. it was the first time she saw it happen, seeing him avert his eyes and bursting in guffaws, so she didn¡¯t know what to do. meanwhile, her face had gradually turned red, so it looked like her cheeks were burning. wow! she really couldn¡¯t sleep because of a guy like this! if she could go back to yesterday, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get a good night¡¯s sleep and never wake up again. if so, she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer like this. ¡°excuse me?¡± ¡°no, catherine! you¡¯re really¡ª¡ª-¡± he didn¡¯t even think of raising his head to look at her. suddenly, his big shoulders shook as well. it was quite surprising that this tyrant could laugh happily, not sarcastically or savagely, but he had never wanted to laugh at her especially for this reason. ¡°i¡¯m not good for you, your majesty.¡± ¡°why?¡± rashid finally removed the hand blindfolding his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t completely erase her laughter. angry at the unfamiliar appearance, she snorted timidly. ¡°you don¡¯t really know people, your majesty. i might just end up using you unintentionally¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°wait! wait!¡± rashid¡¯s laughter became more intense than the first. now, he put his hand on the back of his neck as if he couldn¡¯t handle what he had heard of so far. ¡°what are you d-doing to me?¡± ¡°really! really!¡± the emperor was so mean! what kind of reaction was she expecting from a man like him? now, she¡¯s discouraged and had nothing to say. in particular, the difference became clear when she saw mr. darren, who looked after haniel with utmost sincerity over there. ¡°even if i tell you not to laugh at me, you seem to be chuckling, so keep doing it. it should be over before nightfall. i¡¯m sorry but it appears like i have to go first. since you have laughed a lot because of me, i¡¯ll count that as paying my debt off. then i¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°where?¡± ¡°ah!¡± his hand quickly grabbed her wrist and his hold was neither painful or loose. then, he took her hand and squinted. ¡°i just thought it was funny but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re even ruder? shouldn¡¯t the famous duchess listen to the emperor¡¯s words until the end?¡± ¡°this conversation is over.¡± ¡°no. i haven¡¯t even started yet but let¡¯s begin with your reputation. whatever it is, it¡¯s better than mine. i don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s opinions because i¡¯m the emperor. ah¡­ and¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°¡­¡± this time, he stared straight into her eyes. ¡°i did laugh but i didn¡¯t say you weren¡¯t pretty, catherine.¡± ¡°n-no!¡± brother shouldn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± haniel, who even talks in her sleep, couldn¡¯t stop her sobs even while lying in the cradle. ¡°i¡¯m going to bite you before you get your black teeth in my eyes!¡± perhaps because she was wearing a white ribbon around her head, her spirit was as strong as any other queen. ¡°the princess is so stubborn too.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± if there was a queen with conviction, of course, there would be a sneaky concubine. selene, who had patted haniel¡¯s chest with one wing, was busy pulling the ribbon around her neck with her other wing. ¡°why don¡¯t you do it? there seems to be a clear trend. whoops?¡± ¡°so, selene. id you take the traitor¡¯s route?¡± ¡°what do you mean a traitor? let¡¯s just say that i¡¯m good at reading the trends of the times! *quack* selene proudly turned her neck, showing off her turquoise ribbon. catherine noticed she came back a little late yesterday, but it appeared like she got something from rashid. ¡°if you look closely, his majesty has a good eye. doesn¡¯t the color match my hair color too well?¡± ¡°yes. you¡¯re really lucky!¡± in a house with three women, one had decided to lay down while the other had completely switched routes. as a result, she felt like crying because there was only one left. ¡°this is why men should come into the house well. a man has successfully cut the family in half.¡± ¡°madam, if anyone sees it, they¡¯ll think i¡¯m the only one who received the gift.¡± Chapter 170 ribbon-wearing selene became even more elegant with her sparkling eyes. she jumped out of the basket and dragged the box she had brought with her, along with her ribbon. ¡°madam, isn¡¯t it yours? won¡¯t you open it?¡± ¡°i know what it is.¡± just by looking at the mark stamped on the box, catherine could tell what it was. it was the purple dress that she tried on in the dressing room that day. as she hesitated and rolled her finger on top of the box, selene¡¯s impatience grew. ¡°i suppose this is for you to wear at the winter palace ball tomorrow? to match with the shoes?¡± ¡°probably.¡± ¡°they say even the migratory birds are excited about it. the main ladies have hired designers and jewelers. they¡¯ve gone all out.¡± ¡°seems like it.¡± lania and rebecca had a bright future ahead of them. even when they come to visit her, they are covered in jewels from head to toe. it goes without saying that at such an elaborate party, they would spare no expense. ¡°even if you¡¯re not the duchess, it seems like everyone is going crazy. how long has it been since you attended a proper party? last time, it was just a welcome banquet for his majesty, but that was just formality. this time, it¡¯s a party hosted by his majesty himself! from the guests to the food and its grand scale, how amazing it must be!¡± ¡°have you been to such places often?¡± where did selene hear all this? it¡¯s as if she¡¯s reading a brochure. as she felt her tongue dry up at selene¡¯s explanation which sounded like she had memorized a brochure, she turned her head. no matter how splendid and beautiful the dresses were contained inside, her duty is to be haniel¡¯s mother. ¡°come here and help me button this. i have to go tomorrow, so the buttons must be properly fastened.¡± ¡°madam, why would you bother to do that when you have a perfectly fine dress?¡± selene was shocked when catherine unfolded the black dress she had just taken out of the wardrobe. out of all the remaining dresses, this one was the least damaged after wandering in the rain. though it was a ¡®perfect ceremonial dress¡¯ with not a single exposed area from the neck to her sleeves, it wasn¡¯t suitable for her. as she glanced over the dense silver buttons at the neck, she already felt an itchy sensation in her throat. ¡°are you going to wear this? you shouldn¡¯t, my lady. why are you doing this?¡± ¡°why do you ask? it¡¯s the image people expect from me.¡± especially her remarkable nieces. ¡°you¡¯re supposed to button it properly! do it again, selene!¡± ¡°ah, i¡¯m sorry, madam.¡± ¡°you did that on purpose!¡± when she asked her to button the loose ones, selene stubbornly tore them off. but even that attempt was futile against selene¡¯s tight grip on the button. ¡°ah! when will this be sewn back together?¡± ¡°why bother? it¡¯s perfectly fine like this.¡± ¡°selene, you¡¯re something else.¡± catherine couldn¡¯t hit her for it. her heart pounded with frustration, but selene remained nonchalant. ever since she had been with that man, she had also picked up his annoying traits. ¡°this is frustrating. why don¡¯t you accept the things he gives you? haven¡¯t you told me before that practicality is the best?¡± ¡°well, practicality is indeed the best.¡± to distract herself from her remarks, she suddenly looked out of the large window. the day was still bright, but the dazzling lights in the extravagant duke¡¯s mansion were always splendid. ¡°do you not understand what it means to wear the dress bestowed upon me by his majesty? i am merely drawing a line between me and him because of the duke. and if i stand beside his majesty wearing this dress?¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong with that? it¡¯s been a long time since anyone has seen the duke¡¯s face, and life must go on. aren¡¯t you even a bit reluctant to tarnish your beauty, madam?¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk about beauty.¡± as she calmly responded, she felt a sudden sting on her flushed cheek. she couldn¡¯t help but think about how rashid looked at her that day, and the thought alone made it hard to breathe. ¡°by the way, how do you plan to use the gem?¡± ¡°well, it¡¯s not like i¡¯m going to use it¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°try it. i¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± because of rashid¡¯s carefree laughter and his evasive answer, she had to clutch her chest. she had gone to great lengths to build immunity to men, yet her heart ended up falling for another man. ¡°ah, this slowpoke!¡± ¡°yes, you¡¯re right. madam, you¡¯re slow as well. why do you wear mourning clothes for a man you¡¯ve never even liked? every time you go through that misery¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°misery?¡± she laughed, imitating selene¡¯s words because they were amusing. ¡°i told you before. how is my situation now?¡± ¡°you can¡¯t even do it for the princess?¡± ¡°of course not. can¡¯t you see, selene? just by being seen with his majesty, i will look like i¡¯m competing for his affection and if i keep doing so, i might¡­ end up with his majesty until the end¡ªe end? are you talking about¡­ marriage?¡± Chapter 171 ¡°hahaha!¡± selene suddenly burst into laughter as she recalled rashid from yesterday. then, she abruptly stopped laughing and frowned. ¡°madam, did you think about marrying his majesty?¡± ¡°ah.¡± she¡¯s making her the strange one again. ¡°hahaha! if men and women meet seriously, isn¡¯t it natural to think that far? like, just think about it?¡± ¡°madam, this is the lake! the lake!¡± selene shrugged her shoulders with her two wings raised. ¡°it¡¯s the ferdium lake, where no one knows who will die tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± as she walked toward the window, holding the black dress, she glanced back at selene. when their eyes met, selene¡¯s expression became even more meaningful. ¡°don¡¯t you know that today is the time when one can just enjoy the lake to the fullest?¡± ¡°¡­¡± she momentarily forgot where she was. in other words, it is a lake, a republic of free love and pleasure, where the effects of a group curse had appeared at the end of the century. if she died tomorrow, it will be the end for her. meeting people she was attracted to from time to time while enjoying a day in the lake, selene laughed leisurely as if she was the joker. ¡°madam, why are you so serious by yourself?¡± ¡°selene.¡± ¡°if you like someone, meet them, and if you don¡¯t, just break up. why bother thinking about marriage and making your registration more complicated while constantly anticipating what will happen tomorrow?¡± ¡°¡­¡± if she had just stopped there, she could have been somewhat moved and ended it warmly. but our selene always went one step further, and that was the problem. ¡°his majesty may not have thought about things thoroughly, but madam, you alone¡ª¡ª¡ªhahaha! kheeek!¡± ¡°hey, move aside.¡± she kicked selene¡¯s wings that were supporting her head and walked back to the window. well, it¡¯s not entirely wrong. she alternated between the black dress she was holding and the dress in the fancy box. it would have different consequences depending on which one she wore. ¡°but we don¡¯t know, madam¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°don¡¯t say things you don¡¯t even know.¡± when she opened the window widely, cool air filled her chest. she spread it outside for the wind and even shook the dress fabric wide open. if selene recited a phrase again as if she had heard it somewhere, she also had no problem speaking fluently and romantically. ¡°oh, i love my current life.¡± ¡°really, did he say that?¡± ¡°yeah, i heard it with my ears.¡± lania, who was trying on a fitted dress, looked at rebecca, who was gasping for breath. hoping for a compliment, lania narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°you should maintain your dignity, rebecca.¡± ¡°you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been in a good mood lately.¡± rebecca retorted back to lania, which was unusual, and finally tried on her dress. the vibrant ivory-colored dress made her feel refreshed as if all her hardships had been washed away. ¡°she was standing by the window, even in a mourning gown.¡± ¡°really?¡± ¡°yes. she should know the subject. well, if she knew the real theme, how would she think of accompanying him to his majesty¡¯s banquet?¡± rebecca let out a scornful laugh as she turned the dress to the side and examined it. originally, she wanted to wear it for the engagement ceremony. with an unavoidable sense of regret, she glanced at her older sister. although she said it as a joke, it was true that her sister had been in a noticeably good mood lately. taking advantage of this opportunity, rebecca tentatively tried her luck. ¡°uh, sister. anyways, what about everton?¡± ¡°what about him?¡± ¡°why not? it¡¯s about time for him to come back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s been over a year already. that eloise! how proud is she to be engaged to the noble seo family? how much longer do i have to tolerate seeing her act so conceited? ugh, how long do i have to endure that?¡± she concluded that she couldn¡¯t win if she didn¡¯t fight. rebecca, whose voice inadvertently became louder, finally felt ashamed when she met her sister¡¯s indifferent eyes. ¡°rebecca, you¡¯re talking like i deliberately didn¡¯t call for everton.¡± ¡°oh no, i know that¡¯s not true. of course, it¡¯s not like that. why would you think that, sister?¡± knowing that being out of her sister¡¯s favor would be the end, rebecca threw her dress aside and approached her. why was she even acting like a servant to her sister all this time? she engraved their promise in her memory once again without forgetting. ¡°i told you that if you go to the palace, everton will come back and govern the north. of course, i didn¡¯t mean that i¡¯ll take the position of the lord instead of you, but anyway, the north will be under everton¡¯s control.¡± ¡°right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± surprisingly, admitting it willingly made her feel even more uncomfortable. not knowing what expression to make, lania reached out her hand first to rebecca. ¡°in that case, i have to catch his majesty¡¯s eyes, somehow.¡± ¡°well, yeah. and they say catherine is just being used, right? today, i saw her hiding and complaining in that gloomy attire again. what is she thinking? even if she comes out like that tomorrow, at best she¡¯ll only receive ridicule or pity.¡± ¡°that¡¯s not enough. ¡± ¡°huh? then what else¡­¡± ¡°even pity is too much for a woman like her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 172 ¡°do you think it¡¯s appropriate to feel sympathy considering the image of that woman we¡¯ve built up so far?¡± lania slowly pulled her younger sister¡¯s finger and whispered something into her hand. rebecca, who had been staring blankly, belatedly widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°uh, sister, this is¡­¡± ¡°i think it¡¯s time i give it to you.¡± ¡°oh.¡± the large diamond ring sparkled larger than her eyes. rebecca had grown tired of ordinary gems, but she knew better than anyone the significance of this particular gem. ¡°sister, are you giving this to me?¡± ¡°who else should i give it then?¡± lania slowly closed her fist and showed a rare warm smile. rebecca couldn¡¯t fully trust it, but there was a certain comfort in the fact that they both desired the same thing as sisters. ¡°you should return this to your lover when you put on the ring.¡± ¡°uh, sister!¡± ¡°of course, that will depend on how this situation unfolds first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± how about it? with lania¡¯s alluring laughter, rebecca, who had been staring blankly at the ring, looked up again. normally, it was a gaze she wanted to avoid, but after putting the thing she desired the most in her hands, her eyes lit up. ¡°what exactly do i need to do?¡± ¡°your highness, may i come in for a moment?¡± entering rashid¡¯s study, peyton once again encountered rashid standing by the window as usual. as always, peyton smiled at the peaceful view of the lake. ¡°i always wonder why mother liked this place so much.¡± ¡°kill.¡± ¡°pardon? what do you mean¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°if i were to kill one of them, would they notice?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°well, that won¡¯t work. a witch would know.¡± he mumbled to himself. rashid¡¯s eyes full of anguish turned towards a flock of birds gathered under a tree on the hillside. among them, his gaze particularly grimaced at one. ¡®who on earth is this opponent?¡¯ peyton approached the window, curious. if it were just a simple hunt, this person would have the skill to slaughter every living being over there, even from this spot. peyton¡¯s attention was momentarily drawn to the bluish-green body that seemed grayish at first glance. ¡°ah, this, this is¡­¡± ¡°quack! quack!¡± not only did it fly into the emperor¡¯s window without permission, but it also let out a loud cry. peyton, who was startled for no reason, quickly tried to shoo it away, but then she stopped and fell silent. ¡°uhh, could this teal duck be the friend of the aristocratic lady¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°ah, selene?¡± ¡°¡­¡± peyton¡¯s voice trembled as she smoothly approached rashid after calling the teal duck by its name. what on earth is happening here? it was already startling enough when his older brother called the name of the duck, but it was even more shocking when he reached out his hand to greet it. ¡°i see that you¡¯ve come to me.¡± ¡°brother! why is the friend of the duchess¡¯ daughter here?¡± ¡°well, upon closer inspection, she seems quite clever.¡± ¡°quack!¡± as if in response to those words, the duck spread its wings, and something fell from its feathers. as rashid picked up what appeared to be small black buttons, his laughter deepened. ¡°well done. you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°squawk!¡± with a wry smile, rashid plucked a ribbon from the shelf and wrapped it around the duck¡¯s neck. though his touch was now quite skillful, peyton, who was watching, felt a sense of unease. ¡°your majesty, what are you doing?¡± ¡°consider it a sign of alliance.¡± ¡°an alliance? then, are you planning to raise it for military purposes?¡± ¡°that¡¯s ridiculous. if that were the case, i would get rid of it.¡± with a nonchalant laugh, rashid wiped catherine¡¯s button with his hand. considering its dull color, one shouldn¡¯t be fond of it, but it wasn¡¯t easy to discard it when thinking of its owner. he tightly held it in his palm. ¡°by the way, seeing you here, is it already time for me to leave?¡± ¡°oh, yes. there is still time, but you should choose your attire in advance. dion informed the dressing room to prepare as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± finally realizing the purpose of coming here, peyton gestured toward the door, and the attendants waiting outside brought the emperor¡¯s garments inside one by one. even for the brief moment the door opened, the bustling sounds indicated that the preparations were being made with great enthusiasm. ¡°i¡¯m not sure if what i prepared for your visit to the northern region will please you, brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± setting aside peyton¡¯s concerns, rashid gradually began to walk. after all, it was just clothing. he didn¡¯t particularly enjoy social gatherings due to his personality, and if there was an event he had to attend, all he needed was a black formal attire suitable for national ceremonies. Chapter 173 ¡°hmm,¡± peyton responded to rashid¡¯s presence standing in front of the golden attire as if making an excuse. while rashid¡¯s taste seemed overly extravagant, the golden cape was indeed a symbol of the royal family of rohan. apart from the black mourning attire or blood-stained battle garments, it was the only color rashid ever wore. just in case, peyton had advised him to tone down the color, so the distinctive shimmer of the golden silk had been greatly reduced. ¡°but with this¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°ah, don¡¯t worry about it. since we brought them for preparation, i¡¯m just showing you what we have. if there¡¯s an outfit that satisfies you, we have it made separately.¡± ¡°¡­¡± however, rashid¡¯s eyes remained unimpressed. it was just his ambition to try something new, considering that he was introducing a royal banquet in the winter palace for the first time. peyton quickly pointed to the next set of clothes. ¡°i tried to make them as similar as possible to what you usually wear.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± rashid glanced over the clothes that peyton indicated. the black velvet formal attire with silver shoulder pads and golden buttons looked elegant. it perfectly displayed the emperor¡¯s authority and dignity, but he still seemed dissatisfied. ¡°is this all?¡± ¡°yes?¡± peyton, who never expected rashid to make such a comment about his attire, furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if he misheard. regardless of the types and colors of the fabrics here, there was a sense of inadequacy in matching him. the deep crimson cape was the official attire of emperor rashid fernoa iii known throughout the continent. ¡°has that woman arrived?¡± ¡°ah, not yet.¡± peyton immediately understood whom the emperor was referring to with his subtle remark. he lowered his head as if it was entirely his fault. ¡°but she will arrive soon. please don¡¯t worry, your majesty.¡± ¡°what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± rashid chuckled, contrary to peyton¡¯s cautiousness, revealing a hint of concern. ¡°the duchess will surely attract attention in various ways. there are already rumors spreading in the northern region that your majesty frequently meets with her. and if she¡¯s by your side immediately after the national ceremonies and mourning¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. she¡¯ll be by my side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± peyton couldn¡¯t help but show a slight worry, considering the known facts. rashid¡¯s smile became even more satisfied as he recalled what he knew. he turned away from the black attire he had been looking at. ¡°indeed, this won¡¯t be enough. prepare my suit again.¡± ¡°yes? is there something specific you desire, your majesty?¡± peyton approached, doubting his ears. suddenly, rashid detached the silver shoulder pad from the black attire and held it in his hand. ¡°what i desire is¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°princesses lania and rebecca evendell have arrived!¡± the people who were already present turned their heads toward the two ladies standing at the entrance of the winter palace. the admiration echoed throughout because their dresses were as elegant as the previous count¡¯s reception. ¡°oh my, it feels like the hall brightens up as soon as the ladies arrive.¡± ¡°everyone is here.¡± lania quickly glanced at the aristocratic ladies flocking around her and smiled shyly, lowering her gaze. she had been dominating the social circles in the northern region for years. nevertheless, she still made an effort to appear approachable to those who tried to catch her attention. ¡°my sister and i have only received his majesty¡¯s gracious invitation, just like all of you.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t believe that. since you hosted the welcoming banquet last time, it¡¯s only natural that the emperor would invite you first this time. well, later on, the princess herself will personally invite us to this place.¡± ¡°oh my, why would you say such a thing?¡± lania tilted her head at the viscountess when she subtly implied that she would become the mistress of this place. her husband, the viscount, had been holding that position so far as a representative of the emperor¡¯s household, which meant she must have thought she would be a perfect match for him. ¡°it¡¯s burdensome to hear such words. someone might misunderstand, you know?¡± ¡°misunderstand? who would dare to have such feelings toward the ladies? right?¡± ¡°of course!¡± as soon as the viscountess looked around, a chorus of agreed voices followed. every one of them had either received the count¡¯s favor, desired it, or had reasons to flatter. ¡°how beautiful you look today in the winter palace. the white dress sparkles just like this hall. such a dress wouldn¡¯t suit just anyone. only a true lady like you can pull it off.¡± ¡°no, actually, the real protagonist today is not me but my sister, rebecca.¡± ¡°what?¡± lania subtly stepped aside, revealing rebecca, who was standing behind her. although she was also dressed as a noble lady, she had never received much attention since she had always been accompanying her sister. but this time, when all eyes turned to her in awe, she fluttered her fan somewhat unnaturally. ¡°of course, lady rebecca is also¡­ huh?¡± ¡°oh my, what is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± the noblewomen, who were continuing with their customary compliments, naturally focused their eyes on the most sparkling thing. when they saw the large pink diamond shining on rebecca¡¯s finger as she waved her fan, genuine admiration burst out. ¡°oh, my goodness! such a beautiful thing!¡± Chapter 174 ¡°could it be that you¡¯re finally approaching the engagement?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it has finally come to that.¡± unlike her sister, rebecca, who was unfamiliar with such gazes, raised her head confidently. however, when she met lania¡¯s stern gaze, she lowered her head again and lightly extended her hand with the ring. ¡°it¡¯s an heirloom from my mother, and i brought it out in anticipation of the engagement.¡± ¡°this is truly the first time i¡¯ve seen such a gem! so, did lady lania graciously concede?¡± ¡°concede? anyone who suits it well is fine.¡± not missing the timing, lania extended her hand and clasped rebecca¡¯s hand with a humble smile. ¡°congratulations, really.¡± moved by her sister¡¯s touched smile, rebecca responded with a touch of sentimentality. she didn¡¯t want to smile but when she saw her rival glaring at her with her chest puffed up, laughter naturally escaped her lips. ¡®widen your eyes and see this clearly.¡¯ ¡°thank you, sister. you¡¯ve been taking care of me to this extent.¡± ¡°of course. you¡¯re my one and only younger sister.¡± as the sighs continued naturally, someone quietly interjected. ¡°oh, my.¡± although she was slightly shabbily dressed, her impatient face revealed how long she had been waiting for this opportunity to speak. ¡°um, lady lania.¡± ¡°oh my, baroness vennia, it¡¯s nice to see you here.¡± lania, who was holding hands with rebecca, turned her head kindly. as soon as she recognized the owner of the voice, one of her eyebrows twitched, but it was a momentary reaction. ¡°i heard that you haven¡¯t been feeling well lately, so how did you come all the way here?¡± ¡°ah. it¡¯s not that. it¡¯s just that my youngest son, who went to the military last winter, still hasn¡¯t returned, so i went to the military in the name of the marquis in case.¡± ¡°lady vennia, i understand your sorrowful heart, but today is his majesty¡¯s first banquet. should you bring up such matters in this place? you can discuss such matters slowly.¡± ¡°but even after sending a letter, there was no reply, and since he is my only remaining child¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°everyone here has experienced sadness during the last war. i, too, lost my beloved and respected father.¡± ¡°oh, lady lania.¡± unable to contain her emotions, lania took out her handkerchief, and the surrounding women naturally surrounded her. the displaced lady benia desperately reached out her hand, but she wasn¡¯t even given a chance to clutch it. those who seemed to be in a similar situation to the baroness, unfortunately, held her, but the main character of this seat was decided anyway. ¡°my lady, please stay strong. we also deeply sympathize with the duke¡¯s situation.¡± that¡¯s right. thanks to the lady¡¯s capable leadership in the northern region, we are truly grateful. how wonderful would it have been if the duchess had been able to provide support during these times.¡± ¡°however, i heard that lately the duchess herself has been actively involved in the welfare and park projects in the northern region, isn¡¯t that true?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± a chilly atmosphere settled for a moment with a thoughtless remark from someone. some glanced at lania, but not everyone was quick to catch on. there were inevitably foolish individuals who genuinely believed in the notion of ¡®work for the northern region, despite the difficulties.¡¯ ¡°i heard as well. when the duchess was mainly staying at the duke¡¯s estate, it seemed like her mental or physical condition was not well. but it seems that wasn¡¯t the case. in that case, she could also assist the lady with her duties.¡± ¡°i heard that not long ago, she even accompanied his majesty to the urban area. if her health is truly poor, could she manage to travel like that? especially with someone as noble as his majesty.¡± with the discussion of the two individuals, who were the center of attention in the northern region, it was natural for voices to rise. rebecca once again extended her ring, but it was already too late to change the tide. ¡°um, about this engagement¡­¡± ¡°well, would his majesty, of all people, keep someone who is truly mentally unstable by his side? even at the welcoming banquet at the duke¡¯s residence, everything was covered up. she seemed perfectly fine, both walking and talking, so why¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°so, the viscountess compares it to my mother being held captive against her will.¡± ¡°oh, no, that¡¯s not what i meant¡­¡± unknowingly, the women who had been talking loudly were suddenly taken aback and covered their mouths. lania¡¯s expression was extremely elegant, but her smile contained a bone-chilling quality. ¡°as everyone knows, my mother has not forgotten the sorrow of losing my father. despite my pleading as her child, she has stubbornly chosen mourning and still dresses in mourning attire.¡± ¡°oh, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°well, wouldn¡¯t it be faster to see for yourself than to say a hundred words? perhaps my mother will attend today as well, so why not see her directly and judge for yourselves?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Chapter 175 very naturally, lania folded the handkerchief she was holding. a voice, gently and elegantly, echoed to guide everyone on how to act from now on. ¡°however, please don¡¯t sympathize too much.¡± my mother is a strong-willed person, so there¡¯s no need to forcibly hide your sentiments. just express it appropriately as it appears. besides, sometimes forcing yourself to be affectionate can make people even more miserable.¡± ¡°ahaha. yes, my lady.¡± ¡°these days i¡¯ve been assisting his majesty more than ever, and he seems unusually excited. i suppose being alone all this time and then having the opportunity to be close to his majesty can make one feel that way, and i can understand those sentiments. however, i do worry that in the process, there might be actions that go against propriety or distort his majesty¡¯s sympathy, so it¡¯s important to sometimes realize the reality as it is..¡± ¡°lady evendell is here!¡± ¡°¡­¡± as the announcement echoed through the hall¡¯s entrance, the ladies turned their heads simultaneously. those who had been trying to impress lania were prepared to ridicule her from the beginning. isn¡¯t she a witch who made the north move up and down from the beginning? it was clear that the princess, who had been covering for her stepmother so far, expressed her concern so openly. even the lady, who had been like the final shield, would turn away, there would be no more reason to hesitate. even if she were a noble princess instead of a witch, she should prepare herself to be ridiculed¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°ah¡­¡± the lady, who stood at the forefront and had truly prepared to ridicule as it was, opened her mouth. silence followed as catherine appeared step by step on the marble stairs. ¡°¡­¡± first, her black hair fluttered. instead of a dark veil, jewels embedded in a silver diadem atop her head sparkled like a crown. but what was truly astonishing was the dress that enveloped her body. ¡°um, that, that is¡­ it was in velocar¡¯s wardrobe.¡± ¡°hush.¡± as if someone was disturbed by the remark, people brought their fingers to their lips. for the ladies present here, it was the dress that everyone had cast envious glances at least once. the crimson-purple dress that had caused them anguish by not being able to gather any information other than the fact that its owner had appeared, had finally found its perfect match. ¡°¡­¡± her shoulders, which had always been covered in everyday attire, were now exposed in a pale shade. if you look closely, the design itself was simple, but combined with her unique beauty, it was radiant like a newly bloomed flower. with a suppressed sigh of admiration, the satin dress draped over her slender body unfurled like waves below her slender waist. ¡°oh, my goodness¡­¡± an exclamation that had been held back with great effort finally burst out from someone¡¯s lips. considering that lania requested it to be expressed as it was, it was rare to see it captured so accurately. moreover, catherine¡¯s sudden appearance was so shocking that it even managed to dispel the tension of being in the presence of lady lania. ¡°she is absolutely beautiful.¡± ¡°no, that¡¯s not the problem right now.¡± as someone shook their head in amazement, another person grabbed their arm. they could be certain of one thing, regardless of everything else about the duchess. with that much, even if she were a crazy witch, it wouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem. ¡°sister! why is she¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°hush.¡± rebecca, who had been standing in a daze, finally snapped out of it. her concentrated attention shifted slightly. however, lania¡¯s gaze, warning her younger sister not to act rashly, wasn¡¯t very calm either. finally, the duchess, who noticed the tense atmosphere belatedly, let out a wry laugh. ¡°oh, i¡¯m really flustered. to think i¡¯ve already discarded my everyday attire.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right! no matter how beautiful your external appearance may be, it¡¯s just an illusion. how could the lady representing the north, the duchess, already thought of discarding her everyday attire?¡± ¡°¡­¡± some of them came up with more plausible excuses one by one. of course, it wasn¡¯t a matter of law, and there weren¡¯t just one or two of them who had suffered losses due to the recent war. however, catherine was the exception, causing irritation. ¡°it seems like the lady is indeed getting carried away. look at her self-assured expression.¡± ¡°how could she be like that without thinking of the late¡ª¡ªthe previous duke? even his majesty is still wearing his black mourning attire.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. even his majesty strictly observes the mourning period. how can the duchess be so¡ª¡ª¡ª- oh my!¡± ¡°¡­¡± as catherine calmly entered the center, the viscountess, who was speaking, swallowed her words in surprise when their eyes met. clad in a dress that perfectly matched the color of her eyes, catherine herself seemed to lull them to sleep like in a single glance. what are you looking at? a mischievous smile flickered across her vibrant purple eyes as she passed by lania in the midst of the crowd. anger towards each other flashed momentarily in their eyes, but catherine, who had finished her greeting, continued forward. someone attempted to add a remark once again at her dazzling departure, but they couldn¡¯t bring themselves to do so this time. ¡°everyone, please pay attention. his imperial majesty, the radiant sun of rohan and the recipient of the blessings of lady therese, is here!¡± Chapter 176 as the protagonist finally showed himself on the second-floor staircase, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to him. the emperor¡¯s exquisite appearance was already known to everyone in this place. however, mere words of beauty were insufficient for describing him today. ¡°lift your head.¡± with each flight down the stairs, his shimmering silver cloak fluttered. and when his splendid sky-blue attire was revealed, even the sound of breathing seemed to diminish. they thought that the duchess¡¯ appearance had received all of their admiration, but now, as the emperor discarded his ceremonial attire, it evoked more astonishment from the crowd than the duchess¡¯s entrance. ¡°ah.¡± duchess catherine was no exception. like the others, she lowered her head curtly but her expression became peculiar as rashid¡¯s appearance gradually became apparent. this man was so dazzling and mysterious as if he were the embodiment of the winter palace. ¡°why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°your majesty!¡± ¡°what a disappointment.¡± approaching catherine directly, rashid smirked. he brought her fingers, securely held, close to his lips, and at that moment, a whisper-like voice rang out. ¡°if you want to make use of the emperor, you should be at least this capable.¡± ¡°you should have prepared for this.¡± ¡°um.. could you please clarify exactly what you¡¯re expecting?¡± ¡°well¡­ whoever stands by my side should make me stand out even more.¡± the impact of rashid¡¯s order for her attire was significant. it wasn¡¯t merely a matter of suitability or not. with this, the image of the empire¡¯s ruler had come to an end. apart from holding banquets in the palace, this act of the emperor was no different from a public announcement. the expressions of the nobles observing this spectacle changed drastically. ¡°third brother, i don¡¯t understand anything anymore.¡± ¡°tenon.¡± peyton encountered a dazed tenon, who blinked his eyes absentmindedly that he even passed greetings from the nobles. as the palace guards¡¯ commander and the crown prince, his attitude may have been somewhat lacking, but everyone¡¯s gaze in this place was fixed on the emperor. regardless of what extravagant clothes anyone wore, they had to keep their mouths shut as long as they couldn¡¯t surpass the emperor. that was what rashid desired, and peyton silently followed suit. in reality, the princes couldn¡¯t compare to their eldest brother, rashid, but following the imperial decree, they donned golden attire. as the gazes of those gathering gradually focused on them, peyton pointed out tenon¡¯s attitude. ¡°many eyes are watching. isn¡¯t it inappropriate to behave recklessly?¡± ¡°but how can his majesty¡ª¡ª¡± tenon, still unable to believe what he saw, pointed to rashid standing in the center. it was their eldest brother, who had been engulfed in a fluttering crimson cloak. such a figure emitted a faint light from head to toe, and it felt not just simple splendor but also sacredness. however, as the emperor¡¯s younger siblings, they couldn¡¯t adapt to it at all. ¡°c-catherine, too.¡± ¡°duchess.¡± quickly correcting tenon¡¯s words, peyton slightly wrinkled his brow in dissatisfaction. meanwhile, as the music began, he gestured to catherine, who was approached by rashid, and his voice trembled. ¡°even that title is likely to change soon.¡± ¡°your majesty!¡± what was up with this man? seriously, what was he? seeing the reaction of the people who seemed collectively entranced, she felt like bursting into a laugh. but as soon as he met his gaze, the laughter subsided. ¡°hand.¡± rashid, always composed, slowly led her to the dance floor. the man who had simply been handsome and fierce all this time had now single-handedly possessed everything in the world. he was beautiful, divine, and also deadly. ¡°just give me your hand.¡± it wasn¡¯t until the very end that she realized even the fact that she couldn¡¯t dance. ¡°ah! your majesty! wait a moment!¡± ¡°if you¡¯re going to say something like you can¡¯t dance, it¡¯s fine. you¡¯re not particularly good at anything else, after all, my dear sister-in-law.¡± ¡°¡­¡± that¡¯s right. judging by the way he spoke, he must undoubtedly be her stepdaughter¡¯s husband. she sighed with resignation, but unexpectedly, his chuckle erupted from above her forehead. it was a small sound that only she could hear, but she couldn¡¯t help but look up at him. as their eyes met, rashid, who was usually composed, seemed slightly shaken as well. ¡°why are you doing this again?¡± that fact seemed rather satisfying, so she didn¡¯t avoid his gaze either. ¡°is it because i didn¡¯t do well today?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not about your performance, catherine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°and i¡¯ve already told you that you¡¯re beautiful enough.¡± why did her heart sting even at such a casually thrown remark about what kind of woman she was? perhaps he needed more training with mr. darren. as i pondered that thought, his arm wrapped around her waist more tightly. ¡°oh! i really can¡¯t dance¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°i know.¡± ¡°but why go through all this trouble?¡± ¡°whether you want to stand still and receive criticism or do something and receive criticism, it will be your choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± he gestured to the people surrounding them. startled, everyone lowered their heads just by rashid¡¯s gaze, but they couldn¡¯t completely avert their eyes. he was a man who captivated everyone¡¯s attention as if their eyes were naturally drawn to something that sparkled. Chapter 177 ¡°so, what should i do?¡± rashid, who had arrived at the center of the hall, lowered his gaze toward her face. how did she end up right here anyway? she hesitated for a moment, but since she had already come this far, there was only one answer. ¡°don¡¯t blame me even if i step on your feet. as you know¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°i know. you¡¯re useless no matter how much you try.¡± ¡°ah! really.¡± with a glimmer of laughter in her narrowed eyes, rashid faced her as if he had been waiting for her. as she took his hand, grand music resounded throughout the hall. in the stillness, with all eyes focused solely on them, the music brought some comfort to her heart. ¡°¡­¡± no! to be honest, it¡¯s a lie. how could she let her guard down while dancing with a man like this? even as she moved her feet following rashid¡¯s lead, she couldn¡¯t relax. it wasn¡¯t because she was dancing with a man who made her heart flutter, but because she was afraid of stepping on his feet and getting killed. ¡°don¡¯t pierce. don¡¯t stab. don¡¯t kill.¡± ¡°ah, yes.¡± ¡°excuse me, then.¡± only when she finally looked up at rashid and smiled did his gaze darken as they turned under the chandelier. when did he become so skilled at dancing? he still seemed like an emperor, but his attire had changed, making him feel like an entirely different man. ¡°your majesty, what happened?¡± ¡°that seems like something i should be asking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± one step back. as rashid¡¯s outstretched hand lightly brushed her, her nape inexplicably tingled. it was difficult to describe the color of the crimson irises that held her purple dress. it seemed satisfied, or perhaps it was full of desire. ¡°you acted like you would never wear it.¡± ¡°well, that was my intention.¡± ¡°¡­¡± one step closer again and she whispered as her lips passed by his ear. ¡°well, apparently, there seems to be a traitor living in our house.¡± ¡°who dares? it seems like there are several lives at stake, huh?¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s just a mallard duck. her name is selene.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°if she happens to meet your majesty in the future, please let me know.¡± ¡°what?¡± taking advantage of the slight loosening of his grip, she turned around in a full circle. judging by how rashid immediately caught her back, it seemed he wasn¡¯t completely wrong about not being completely off in dancing. ¡°if she dares to touch another person¡¯s button again, i¡¯ll poke her eyes out.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± a soft sound, as if suppressing laughter, passed by their bodies. whether it was dancing or posturing, he was a man who knew exactly when to withdraw his feet. ¡°well, i think i saw something similar in the second-floor study.¡± ¡°do you think i¡­¡± ¡°maybe not.¡± one by one, the dancers increased, but all eyes were still focused on their side. the ladies, especially those who had always shown great interest in the emperor, couldn¡¯t tear their thirsty gazes away. ¡°¡­¡­¡± particularly, it was even more intense for lavinia, who always had a strong interest in him. rebecca, who openly flirted, and lania, with her cool smile, were disregarded. the desperate desire of those women, who seemed eager to capture her with their arms and take her away at this very moment, was enough to make her back ache. ¡°these women¡­¡± ¡°your majesty.¡± it was a gaze that she could feel even without looking, so rashid couldn¡¯t possibly notice. without turning around, he looked down at her with a creased brow, as if he found her pitiful. ¡°a so-called stepmother who can¡¯t properly control her daughters.¡± ¡°well, how can the daughters be happy when their new stepmother is dancing with another man?¡± ¡°why? you have a real daughter, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°what? who?¡± ¡°reina.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± wow! this is quite piercing to the heart. she tightly closed her eyes, trying to ignore the slightly upturned corner of his mouth. whether she danced or not, it didn¡¯t make much difference. she just knew that rashid¡¯s strong hand would never let her fall. ¡°really? my daughter?¡± it was a word that felt as unfamiliar as boiling ice cream. yet, there was already a sweet sensation, like melting softness, spreading on her tongue, which she had never tasted before. despite casually mentioning her only hope, rashid remained calm and composed. ¡°reina would probably like it. seeing you dancing like this.¡± ¡°no way!¡± this brother of hers sure had big dreams. no matter how briefly excited she might have been, the reality was reality. right now, she should personally see how her ¡®older brother, current brother-in-law, and niece¡¯ are faring during the protest. it was said that they were lying sprawled on the sickbed, shouting ¡®long live big brother!¡¯ while eating his favorite apples. considering that she miraculously managed to avoid skipping school, it would be unwise for him to be so self-assured about all these root causes of illness. ¡°why? do you still hate me, by any chance?¡± ¡°why would you bring that up? oops.¡± he surprised her! rashid, who was about to take a step forward, suddenly pulled her closer. before she could fall, he swiftly lifted her, but her eyes widened involuntarily. ¡°your¡ª¡ªyour highness!¡± ¡°at this point, it seems like your daughter can also change her mind.¡± ¡°perhaps.¡± he¡¯s making a ridiculous claim. his excessive confidence was both irritating and astonishing. following rashid¡¯s gentle touch as he set her down slowly, her new shoes touched the ground. the plush sensation was different from before¡ªit felt like sitting on a cloud. ¡°take a look at that.¡± Chapter 178 rashid withdrew his long, penetrating gaze into her soul. as the music gradually slowed towards the end, her heart only beat faster. just as both feet touched the ground, he nonchalantly tilted his chin, pretending to be unaffected as much as possible. ¡°without even mentioning my daughter, selene, just ask her to give me a call. i¡¯ll show her what happens to traitors in the end.¡± ¡°it sounds like you want me to do that to you.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± when she didn¡¯t explicitly deny it, rashid¡¯s smile deepened. she shouldn¡¯t look at him, that¡¯s what she had resolved countless times, yet unknowingly, her eyes followed him. others might think the same, but she knew the meaning behind his gaze better. ¡°this isn¡¯t right.¡± rashid¡¯s frequent chuckles made her swallow hard. it was all uncomfortable for catherine. if it shouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable, and if it was part of the plan, she tried not to think about it at all. however, rashid¡¯s hand remained firmly on her waist, making it impossible. ¡°sorry, your majesty. but when will you let go of me?¡± ¡°i¡¯d like to do that, of course, but i feel like you¡¯ll be devoured if i do.¡± rashid subtly turned his head towards catherine¡¯s stepdaughters. until now, he had never looked at them properly, but now his perceptive gaze became incredibly sharp. ¡°for whom¡ª-¡± ¡°your majesty.¡± was she his prey? amidst all this, not because she was worried, but because she couldn¡¯t stand seeing someone else¡¯s good fortune, a burst of hollow laughter escaped her lips. however, rashid¡¯s eyes grew noticeably gloomy, as if he didn¡¯t like such behavior from catherine. ¡°do you plan to make use of me with such audacity? use me when the time comes.¡± ¡°are you suggesting they¡¯ll be punished instead of me?¡± ¡°what if?¡± in his questioning gaze that implied the obvious, she took another step closer to his chest. gently. with just that one step, rashid¡¯s body tensed, and the expressions of the two sisters turned fierce. this was closer to the utilitarian value she desired. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, your majesty, but it seems you don¡¯t understand your worth very well.¡± ¡°what did you say?¡± when he gets angry at catherine, his head gets even closer to her face. she didn¡¯t know when she found out about it, but she had no reason to avoid it. ¡°i¡¯m trying to be as careful as possible.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± she smoothly removed rashid¡¯s hand from her waist and bent her knee. as she placed one hand on her chest and looked up at him, the music finally quieted down. ¡°so, please don¡¯t let go of me then.¡± ¡°madam, it¡¯s a pleasure to greet you. i am the countess of sutton¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°ah. so you¡¯re the countess of sutton!¡± just by having danced the first dance with the emperor, the way people looked at her changed. many people came to greet her with fear in their eyes as soon as the dance ended and she returned to her seat. the first lady who approached her looked surprised when she realized that she recognized her. ¡°h-how could the duchess recognize me?¡± ¡°i know about you. sir robert, who participated in the great battle on behalf of the north, was from count sutton¡¯s family, right?¡± he¡¯s now working under her to ensure the security of the lake. feeling genuinely pleased, she looked at her, and the countess belatedly widened her eyes, as if caught off guard. when she mentioned her family¡¯s story, she dropped all pretense and quickly raised her head. ¡°ah, i¡¯m sorry. i was just trying to say hello to the duchess.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no problem. i understand your intentions perfectly.¡± the fact that she approached catherine first likely meant that she was in a disadvantageous position on princess lania¡¯s side. lania¡¯s rejection could be seen as a blow to her pride that she wanted to have a connection with catherine, instead. but honestly, it didn¡¯t bother her at all. the fact that some relatives were affected by lania¡¯s curse also meant that their values were relatively correct. ¡°i was surprised to see the duchess today. i didn¡¯t know you were hiding your beauty in a black veil.¡± ¡°oh, please stop it.¡± well, she¡¯s perceptive even in her observations. as she smiled and responded to them, more and more people quietly approached her. rashid, who had been heading somewhere with the princes, glanced at catherine for a moment and smiled as if saying, ¡°look.¡± ¡°do you think you can handle this on your own?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± rashid¡¯s red eyes narrowed as if he couldn¡¯t stand it, but he didn¡¯t need his help from the beginning. to put it frankly, except for being the emperor, he was good at socializing and networking. he never imagined that he would even offer to help, except in situations where he needed to exert an intimidating presence or wield his sword to cut down everything. ¡°no. that won¡¯t work.¡± if he cut down everything, he would be the one receiving all the blame. he¡¯s a man who didn¡¯t even consider making up for his mistakes so he felt more at ease handling it on his own. and even if he received help in that way, he would be like a fox riding on a tiger¡¯s back. nothing more and nothing less. once the tiger disappeared, he would be the first to face the spear of anger. Chapter 179 ¡°well, anyway, it¡¯s nice to meet you like this.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nice to meet you too. i¡¯ve wanted to greet you for a long time, but you didn¡¯t show yourself.¡± ¡°oh, viscountess. i was wondering where you were.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± yes. she wondered why she didn¡¯t come. she quietly turned away to the daughters who appeared with a strong presence. compared to what she expected, they were a little late. ¡°you¡¯ve been avoiding meeting me for a while, but now that you¡¯ve succeeded, should i congratulate you?¡± ¡°p-princess!¡± the viscountess lowered her head in response to lania¡¯s sharp observation. lania, who lowered her head and then looked up at her with a smile, must have calculated her actions as well. ¡°oh my! i almost missed you, mother.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll take it as a compliment, daughter.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡± as expected, lania was on a different level from rebecca, who openly glared at her. she approached her gracefully without losing her dignified posture. ¡°you suit each other better than i thought.¡± ¡°do you think so?¡± ¡°of course. how happy would father have been if he had seen you like this in his lifetime?¡± reviving her position and dignity, lania, who seemed to awaken her surroundings, smiled brightly like her own dress. one noblewoman who had been on lania¡¯s side from the beginning quickly caught on to her intention and interjected. ¡°that¡¯s right. well, after all, the duchess¡¯s beauty is well-known in the north.¡± ¡°is her beauty the only thing that¡¯s famous?¡± ¡°hahaha.¡± laughter was exchanged among them as if they understood the meaning of the words like they had been waiting for someone to say it. the other noblewomen who came to greet her hinted at their rudeness, but even so, they couldn¡¯t compare to lania¡¯s power from the beginning. well, if they did confront her for this, lania wouldn¡¯t have just left it alone without cursing them. ¡°stop it, please! my mother mustered up the courage to attend this gathering, and if you tease her, it won¡¯t be pleasant.¡± ¡°p-princess.¡± ¡°i just feel a little hurt because my father, whom i saw in my dream, came to mind.¡± ¡°a dream?¡± ¡°just the other day, father appeared in my dream. he said he could see my mother, who was always waiting for him by the lakeside, wearing black mourning clothes, all at once.¡± ¡°oh, i see.¡± they all agreed in acceptance. watching lania confidently converse with her attendants, she smiled quietly. even though they tried to maintain an impression as if they were light-hearted, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she witnessed this scene. ¡°mother, is that so amusing? among the stories, it was mentioned that you were deeply saddened by seeing father¡¯s appearance in your dream¡ª-¡± ¡°oh. well, there¡¯s no need to worry about that.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°well, your father appeared in my dream just yesterday as well. he asked me why i¡¯m the only one wearing mourning clothes that even his own chin don¡¯t wear and how angry he was about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± everyone¡¯s attention was focused on lania and rebecca¡¯s colorful dresses. now, take that! as if she could rush in at any moment, lania reached out her arm to stop rebecca. however, since her elegant facade had already been shattered, if now was the beginning, then it was the beginning. ¡°my late husband said there¡¯s no need for you to do that anymore and to let me do as i please, right?¡± she sighed. ¡°why did father have to appear like that in front of you just last night?¡± ¡°yes. originally, he was going to show up the night before, but as you know, he went to visit his eldest daughter¡¯s dream first.¡± ¡°huh.¡± why sell medicine using a deceased person as a tool? as laughter that seemed unbearable echoed from various places, lania¡¯s head abruptly turned in that direction. as if to keep it in memory, the laughter quickly subsided under her cold gaze, but taking advantage of the silence, someone grabbed lania¡¯s arm. ¡°um, lady. i hope to give you a little more of what i was saying earlier¡ª¨C¡± ¡°viscountess.¡± lania¡¯s arrow of feigned anger, aimed at the old lady who interrupted the conversation, turned back and fell silent. with her old dress and dull eyes, it was evident that attending the emperor¡¯s party was not her purpose. ¡°please, at least find out some news about my youngest son¡ª-¡± ¡°how rude! you must be aware that i am currently having an important conversation with my mother.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not that¡ª¨C¡± ¡°leave. as i mentioned earlier, how many noble houses in the north have not experienced casualties from the previous battle?¡± if she understood, please just leave. the old lady shrank back at lania¡¯s displeasure. another lady tried to pry the old lady¡¯s grip off her shoulder. it was the countess who had come to greet her a while ago. ¡°viscountess benia, please don¡¯t do that and go over there to clear your mind a bit.¡± ¡°how can a mother who lost her child regain her composure? all my siblings have already left, and only jeremy remains, but even contact with him has been severed¡­¡± ¡°jeremy, you say?¡± ¡°ah, does the duchess happen to know my son?¡± she, who had been muttering absentmindedly, suddenly rushed towards her and grabbed her arm. people tried to restrain her, but she raised her hand to indicate that she was fine. only then did she seem to regain her senses and lowered her gaze as if repenting. ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry. the duchess has never seen that child, i suppose.¡± ¡°i¡¯m the one who should be sorry. i couldn¡¯t be of any help.¡± ¡°ah.¡± Chapter 180 she raised her head at her sad voice. surrounded by people who had become quiet before she knew it, tears came to catherine¡¯s eyes, and she took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. ¡°oh, no! you don¡¯t have to do this. i¡¯m talking to the people who might know something but this is the only thing i can do¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°what do you mean? what¡¯s more important than that?¡± ¡°mother, it seems like you¡¯re being overly sentimental.¡± lania¡¯s smile chilled again. the viscountess, who was printing tears on the handkerchief, looked at lania and catherine alternately and gestured at her temple as if she found it pitiful. ¡°who wouldn¡¯t appreciate such kind words? but your father, the lord of the north, and your mother¡¯s husband died in battle. for the empire, sometimes you have to hide your sadness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± her meaningful gaze swept over her once again. ¡°of course, i can understand mother¡¯s feelings. after all, the person who suffered is the one suffering. however, one must also adapt to reality.¡± ¡°if that¡¯s the case, you shouldn¡¯t force the viscountess to do that.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°one cannot live by putting their child before them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± when she thought she had lost her haniel in the city, her world truly came to an end. the light of the sky. the raindrops. everything in the world lost all meaning. the terrifying pain of one¡¯s world being turned upside down in an instant cannot be forced upon anyone. ¡°there can be no life that is insignificant in this world, but how can one compare it to a child¡¯s life?¡± ¡°mother, if it is death for the sake of the rohan empire, it is no different for the knights or one¡¯s family member. how can the head of an armed family doesn¡¯t even understand such things?¡± ¡°yes. i may not have enough experience to fully comprehend, but at the very least, if i feel ashamed to mourn my child¡¯s death in the country they had given their lives for, it would be better not to receive such honor.¡± ¡°especially a mother, who is mourning her child¡¯s death, was to receive such treatment, who would willingly sacrifice their life for rohan empire?¡± she turned her gaze from lania, who frowned and gently patted the viscountess¡¯s shoulder. she seemed surprised for a moment but then she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears any longer. *sniff* i¡¯m sorry. jeremy was my only remaining son¡ª¡ª-¡± ¡°i apologize. when you¡¯ve calmed down a bit, please come visit me. if you see the beautiful lake, even for a moment, your heart will feel a bit lighter. there are dense trees and precious plants, and¡­¡± ¡­and the youngest prince was also there. just thinking about the lark, who is now working as the safety officer at lady mellow¡¯s lake school, made her heart sink again. the women approached catherine, not as a way to comfort her, but to occasionally glance at her. when their eyes met, their smiles, not as sharp as before, seemed to indicate that they all had family members sent to the battlefield. ¡°oh. i didn¡¯t know that my mother had such strong determination.¡± taking advantage of the moment when her gaze turned to the countess, lania approached catherine closely. there was a tense atmosphere in her whisper that only she could hear, with a fan placed between us. ¡°anyone who sees you would think you have a dead child or something.¡± ¡°then you should die before me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i wonder how much you would mourn for me. you seem so curious.¡± ¡°hah!¡± anger bubbled in lania¡¯s venomous eyes. however, ever since the incident with haniel, where her wings were crippled, she no longer feared anything. ¡°even if it¡¯s not a particularly honorable death, it¡¯s fine, right?¡± ¡°well, what can the likes of you do about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®would you like me to peck you with my beak?¡¯ with one last mocking laugh befitting her, lania¡¯s head slowly turned away. as the scattered women turned their attention back to us, lania¡¯s smile, when facing them again, became more gracious. ¡°i¡¯m truly glad to see mother¡¯s unexpected side.¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s only natural that i help my daughter¡¯s work now.¡± ¡°mother?¡± ¡°all this time, you¡¯ve been taking care of everything in the north on my behalf. i¡¯m truly sorry. not everyone would have the same dedication to the north, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± as she stared at her with a bright smile, lania¡¯s trembling lips also formed a slow and deliberate smile. ¡°of course. it¡¯s true. i had something i wanted to ask you, and seeing your determination, i believe i can trust you with it.¡± ¡°i have so much to be grateful for.¡± what kind of scheme is that again? amid the exchanged laughter, there was a strong sense of mutual distrust. rashid, who was standing among the group of men, narrowed his eyes and seemed to be approaching subtly. in an instant, she firmly shook my head as if telling him, ¡®no.¡¯ anyway, she wondered if he had nothing better to do. strangely enough, their eyes met frequently. she could barely handle one child, let alone that man. thinking that way, she turned her head again. but then, lania, who had disguised herself as a thoughtful sister, took rebecca¡¯s hand. ¡°considering mother¡¯s deep determination, how about paying some attention to rebecca¡¯s marriage as well?¡±