《My Mom Got A Contract Marriage》


 Chapter 1

    Episode 1


    In the slums of the capital, ¡®Lyrica Barnes¡¯ was quite famous.


    It was because parents of any family scolded their children, saying, ¡°Try being half of Lyrica.¡±


    Lyrica, who turned eight this year, was rumored to be savage.


    It was her mother who was a burden on Lyrica¡¯s life.


    Several times, I helped my mother who was staggering after drinking, and the shallow wooden board could not stop the noise at all, so the sound of her drinking and swearing at her daughter. It sounded very good.


    Occasionally, on days when loud noises were heard, Lyrica would go to work with her red, swollen eyes.


    Still, Lyrica was proud of her mother.


    This was because I had never seen anyone more beautiful than my mother, and my mother was the only one who could read in the slums.


    Lyrica always thought that it was only because her mother, who was originally a nobleman, suffered so much.


    It¡¯s said that her mother was kicked out of the castle because her father owed a huge amount of money when he went on a boat to do business and did not return.


    Without Lyrica¡¯s confidence, her mother said she would have gone anywhere to marry, and Lyrica agreed.


    Her golden hair, as if she had copied the purity of the sun, and her eyes bluer than cornflowers, the light did not fade even in a town like this.


    The milky white skin and dense appearance looked like a fairy no matter where she was and what she wore.


    The men were slim, but no man approached her because her mother was so beautiful.


    Lyrica thought it was a relief. Even if she ran with a broom, she would faint if she was beaten by an adult man.


    Even at the age of eight, a small and thin body would fly away to the ground when a man hit her with his hand.


    I¡¯ve been hit like that because her rent was pushed, and it was hard to come to my senses.


    My head circled, my ears buzzed, and my mouth tasted prickly because of the blood.


    Her eyes darkened and she saw the twinkling stars.


    So Lyrica was worried. She was worried about what she would do if bad people approached her beautiful mother.


    She held both hands tight every night and prayed to the brightest star.


    ¡®Don¡¯t let bad people approach their mothers. Let my mother always be safe.¡¯


    Fortunately, her mother could walk around the bar without any problems, whether the star had granted her wish.


    Today was a quiet day.


    It was because her mother drank much more than usual and fell asleep.


    Lyrica went out to work with her brown hair tied tightly together.


    There is not much the slum children can do. Still, Lyrica worked diligently.


    She had a good reputation for working meticulously and not touching people¡¯s things or stealing food.


    Lyrica has always applied it since she learned the mindset of ¡®work with credit¡¯ from a shoe polish man.


    Today was the day to clean the pub kitchen.


    Repeat the process of rubbing the oil stains off the floor with sand and then rinsing it with water.


    Her arms trembled and sweat dripped down, but Lyrica vigorously rubbed the floor with both of her hands.


    She always imagined that she wouldn¡¯t mind if she was doing something simple like this.


    Her first dream was the return of her father.


    In fact, her father was fine and took a long time to do business.


    The imagination of such a father returning with a ship full of gold and silver treasures, finding Lyrica and mother, and living happily again.


    The second was the secret imagination that Lyrica had.


    As she was walking down the streets of her capital, one of her gentlemen threw a silver coin to her that pitied her.


    She was bewildered when he told her to open her apron, and she opened it up and she was shocked when he rolled his silver coins into it.


    ¡°Buy something delicious and eat it.¡±


    The gentleman said so, but I couldn¡¯t use the silver coin to buy and eat something delicious.


    Lyrica always carried this silver coin like an amulet.


    With these silver coins, she used to imagine becoming wealthy, buying two chickens, raising chickens, and raising a lot of chickens to buy goats, cattle, and later horses.


    These two things were always imagined by Lyrica.


    If I was thinking about this, I didn¡¯t know it was hard and I finished work.


    After sweeping the sand with a broom, finally sweeping the floor with water, Lyrica received a big fairy tale*.


    (t/n: I think that the fairy tales are the money in that word lol)


    Five small fairy tales are one big fairy tale, and one big fairy tale can buy a piece of bread.


    Ten of these large fairy tales make white fairy tales, and Lyrica also sees a lot of gold coins, but silver coins were very, very rare.


    Lyrica bought half a loaf of bread and headed home. When I slightly went inside the house, my mother was still sleeping.


    ¡®Great.¡¯


    Lyrica gently lifted her blanket and lifted the floor below it. Inside was Lyrica¡¯s secret warehouse.


    It is a pocket full of silver and small fairy tales.


    After touching and checking the silver several times, I put it back in my pocket.


    Next month¡¯s rent was included here.


    She has to secretly collect her money like this because if her mother finds out, she immediately goes out for alcohol or useless things.


    The pocket was quite heavy, so she thought that she would have money left even after paying the rent.


    Just thinking about it made her happy, so Lyrica smiled and closed the floor again, and covered herself with a blanket.


    It was then.


    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    My mother screamed, floundering her limbs like a seizure in the bed.


    Lyrica was surprised and froze for a moment.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s hot!! No, it¡¯s not me! Ahhh!!¡±


    Her mother rolled off the bed, but she continued to struggle as if she didn¡¯t know it, and Lyrica rushed back just then.


    ¡°Mother? Mother, are you okay? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°Save me! Save me¡­¡­¡±


    When Lyrica held her mother¡¯s hand tightly, her mother trembled her body once and stopped.


    She opened her trembling eyelids and looked around, but she couldn¡¯t focus.


    Lyrica was scared.


    I heard about people whose hair was damaged after drinking a lot, but I was worried that my mother might have become like that.


    ¡°Hey, where are we, you, you¡­ ¡­ . No way, Lyrica?¡±


    In a hurry, his mother raised her upper body and helped Lyrica get up by holding her hand.


    She sat close and said.


    ¡°Yes, mother. I¡¯m Lyrica.¡±


    My mother stared at Lyrica blankly. Lyrica became nervous and stared at her mother.


    ¡°Are you okay? This is our home. Yesterday, um¡­¡­.¡±


    Lyrica blurred the end of her speech. When I talked about drinking a lot, my mother was always angry and I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°I think you had a bad dream.¡±


    ¡°Lyri, you got younger.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Lyrica didn¡¯t know what to say at the moment.


    I¡¯m eight years old now, but if I look younger than I am now, how old would I look?


    When she rolled his eyes around in embarrassment, her mother swallowed her breath.


    ¡°Lyri, are you alive?¡±


    ¡°What? Yes! Of course. I¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°Did you dream of me dying?¡± Lyrica said, pounding her chest.


    Her mother stared at Lyrica blankly and said.


    ¡°Alive. Alive, uh, not young. Oh my, how old is Lyrica?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m 8 years old.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. What is this?¡±


    Mother suddenly jumped up from her seat and began to wander around the house.


    ¡°Oh, my. It¡¯s the slum. No way. Oh, my God.¡±


    She looked out the window, she looked around the house, she moved around, and she picked up a tiny piece of mirror and looked at it carefully, and she took a breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Lyrica began to get scared. My mother seemed to have gotten weird.


    What do I have to do?


    This is where you can¡¯t buy medicine properly, let alone a doctor. Maybe you should use silver to call a doctor.


    Lyrica stood up from her seat in preparation.


    ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m back! Oh my! How can this happen? Oh my god!¡±


    But again, her mother screamed, and she hardened a little.


    If you approach at times like this, you may be hit by her excited mother.


    Even in bars, people who scream so excitedly should be avoided.


    Waiting for her mother to calm down, Lyrica looked at her silently.


    My mother groped her limbs, touched her hair, touched her face, and repeated the words ¡®I¡¯m back¡¯ over and over again.


    Then she quickly turned around this way. Lyrica flinched. Her mother ran to her and she reached out to Lyrica.


    I¡¯m going to get hit.


    As I closed my eyes, her hands gently touched both cheeks.


    When I opened my eyes gently, my mother¡¯s blue eyes were very close. Tears were in her eyes.


    ¡°Lityca, you¡¯re alive. My precious Lyrica. Mommy is sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. Mom was so foolish. Because mom is so stupid¡ª¡±


    Blinking in surprise, her mother hugged herself.


    While sobbing, her mother whispered dreamlike words several times, ¡°My treasure, my precious baby, Lyrica, I love you.¡±


    Tension eased from where the warmth reached.


    My mother¡¯s words began to tickle into my heart.


    Tears overflowed without realizing it, so Lyrica cried.


    She didn¡¯t know what dream it was, but maybe she was dreaming, but her mother was so warm.


    This is how good it is to be held in her arms.


    Lyrica realized deeply. My mother swept my hair, rubbed my wet cheeks, and kissed me.


    After a long time, his mother calmed down and sighed, hugging Lyrica tightly for the last time and letting her go.


    Everything was sudden, amazing, and uneasy at the same time.


    I was also worried about what if my mother suddenly changed again.


    ¡°Lyrica, what¡¯s the date today?¡±


    ¡°Today is April 15th, the month of 485.¡±


    Her mother thought for a moment at Lyrica¡¯s words and then snapped her finger.


    ¡°Imperial Palace Ball!¡±


    Lyrica was surprised by the sudden remark but nodded. A spring ball was being held, as everyone in the capital knew.


    At this time, the capital was revitalized, and slums were also transmitted by that vitality.


    It is said that nobles dressed in colorful clothes come up to the capital and participate in the colorful ball held at the imperial palace.


    His Majesty is also attending this year¡¯s ball, and there was also a story that his Majesty was a very terrifying person.


    People used to threaten the slum children, saying, ¡°If you keep acting like this, I¡¯ll send you to His Majesty the Emperor!¡±


    I heard stories like taking out the heart of a child and eating it or freezing all the people he didn¡¯t like to die.


    I don¡¯t know whether it is true or not, but it was said by the high nobles that he had special abilities.


    It is said that he can manipulate water at his will, freeze anything at will, or move things at will. Not only that but it¡¯s also said that he had a lot of magical tools.


    It was said that his Majesty killed people recklessly and ascended to the position of the emperor with such ability.


    There was also a story that the former emperor was killed by his majesty.


    The current Crown Prince is the son of the former Emperor, but the current emperor said that the Crown Prince would remain on the throne until he became an adult, and there was also a story about who would believe it.


    Anyway, most of the rumors were that His Majesty the Emperor was strange and scary.


    But Lyrica blinked, wondering what the Imperial Palace Ball meant all of a sudden.


    My mother grabbed Lyrica¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Lyri, mother must attend the ball.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    It was so absurd that Lyrica could not even answer.


    The mother¡¯s blue eyes flashed like lightning.


    ¡°We must have to attend the ball somehow and meet your Majesty. This is the only chance. I¡¯ll prepare today, and go in tomorrow¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    Lyrica felt desperate at the moment.


    She thought her mother had changed, but I was wrong to think like that even for a moment.


    What do you mean by the imperial ball?


    What do you mean emperor?


    The sound was so absurd that she was astonished.


    Why doesn¡¯t my mother know what even an 8-year-old knows?


    ¡°How can you enter the Imperial Palace Ball?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a way to get in. Of course, clothes like this won¡¯t work. You have to borrow the right clothes from the pawnshop. With that, my mom can take care of the rest. So, Lyri.¡±


    Knowing what the latter words were, Lyrica said with her lips shaking.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any money. Mother¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lyri, please. Trust your mom just this once. Huh?¡±


    Lyrica shook her head. I had to pay the rent right away, and she didn¡¯t want to get beaten up again.


    In addition, at the Imperial Palace Ball, what if her mother is caught by the soldiers? No, she was definitely going to be caught.


    Her mother was mature and comforted, but Lyrica closed her lips tightly.


    The stubbornness of a girl who grew up in a slum should not be taken easy.


    Eventually, her mother sighed and raised her hands, and said.


    ¡°Okay, Lyri. If that¡¯s what you mean, I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Lyrica raised her head. her mother didn¡¯t even seem to be angry.


    After thinking for a while, her mother grabbed her shoulder again and said,


    ¡°Lyri, just know one thing. Mom will do her best for Lyri. I know Lyri is a child who can become happy without this. This is my mom¡¯s greed. With your mother¡¯s greed, I will do my best for Lyri. Do you get it?¡±


    Lyrica nodded. The mother smiled and hugged her.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s sleep early today.¡±


    At the words of her mother, Lyri quickly took out half of the bread.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay because I ate.¡±


    At Lyrica¡¯s words, her mother looked at the half of the bread for a while and said.


    ¡°But let¡¯s share.¡±


    The hard bread was split only when it was tightened.


    After sharing the bread, Lyri fell asleep together in her narrow mother¡¯s bed.


    Being so happy, Lyrica fell asleep without even dreaming of her silver coin.


    When I woke up the next day, She couldn¡¯t see my mother. I saw an open floor with a blanket.


    Of course, the coins and the pocket were all gone.


    Feeling devastated, Lyrica collapsed on the floor. She couldn¡¯t help it because her legs were weak.


    Now she didn¡¯t think she would chase after her mother.


    ¡°Oh my god.


    Lyrica started crying out loud without realizing it.


    For the first time, she hated her mother.


    Lyrica cried and cried again.

 Chapter 2

    Episode 2.


    She cried so much that her ears were deaf and her head was spinning. It would be nice to be able to lie down like this because it¡¯s sad and painful, but I can¡¯t fall like this.


    Because she doesn¡¯t have any money in her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Stop crying, Lyrica Barnes. An 8-year-old crying? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡±


    Encouraging herself, Lyrica took a deep breath and got up from her seat.


    She has to be persistent if she wants to live in the slums.


    In addition, she couldn¡¯t take a break from work just because she was sad and sick today.


    If she doesn¡¯t go to work without saying anything, the credit she has accumulated so far will be cracked.


    She doesn¡¯t know anything else, but that was Lyrica¡¯s pride. Lyrica stood up with a slap on her cheek.


    After washing her face with cold water, Lyrica left the house.


    Today was not in the slum, but today she will work at a decent bar on the edge of the capital.


    She washed her hands, feet, and face well and left the slum.


    There are many expensive glasses in bars, but long and thin glasses do not fit too much in an adult¡¯s hands.


    However, as a child, Lyrica¡¯s hands went in, Lyrica washed the glass and wiped it without stains.


    It¡¯s something they wouldn¡¯t entrust to her, a careless slum child, but Lyrica proved her sincerity and received good reviews.


    In addition, she couldn¡¯t miss it because this will be giving two big fairy tales.


    If she breaks the glass by mistake, she may not be able to pay back even if she works there for the rest of her life, so Lyrica worked very carefully and seriously.


    She was tired from a lot of nerves, but thanks to that, she was able to shake off the thought about her mother.


    When she finished she work, she lost all of her energy the whole time. It was because she worked too closely.


    The owner handed over two big fairy tales, so Lyrica said goodbye and went home.


    No, she had to go back, but she didn¡¯t want to go home today. Grinding two big fairy tales well, Lyrica circled in the streets.


    However, the people on the street avoided, seeing the messy Lyrica, and she soon became ashamed and went back to the slum alley.


    It wasn¡¯t until sunset that she headed home. Maybe her mother is back.


    She may say sorry, and she may have brought the money as it is.


    Or, maybe, her father.


    While thinking, Lyrica smiled bitterly. It was an unfortunate smile.


    As soon as she opened the door and entered, she felt something different. It was like a sign that only the landlord could feel.


    There¡¯s nothing to steal from home, but Lyrica was very nervous because it¡¯s a neighborhood that wouldn¡¯t be strange no matter what happened.


    Moving slowly like a furry kitten, Lyrica looked around.


    ¡°Miss Lyrica Barnes.¡±


    Lyrica jumped at the voice heard in the dark.


    Turning toward the sound, there stood a hooded man. He wore a shabby hood, but Lyrica could tell.


    He is a tall person.


    No, at least rich.


    The clothes she wore under his shabby hood looked expensive at first glance, and she knew, above all, by the look of his shoes.


    His posture is not sullen and he stands upright. He must have been someone who rarely bowed his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re very late.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Lyrica spoke first when she realized he had no intention of harming her, Lyrica talked too.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to serve you¡±.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Surprisingly, Lyrica rolled her eyes in a circle. Her eyes soon narrowed with suspicions.


    ¡°Is it because of the rent? If not¡ª ¡°


    ¡°No, Miss Barnes¡¯ mother asked me to bring Ms. Barnes.¡±


    At an unexpected remark, Lyrica was surprised and asked back.


    ¡°My mother? Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her? Did she get arrested? If it¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and listen to the details. I¡¯m just an errand man. You¡¯d better go from the back so you don¡¯t get caught.¡±


    At the man¡¯s words, Lyrica crossed her arms and spoke firmly.


    ¡°I will tell you that I do not follow people I don¡¯t know.¡±


    At the moment, the man looked embarrassed. He introduced himself after thinking for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lauv Wolf.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    With that expression, Lyrica looked at him, and he spoke in a serious tone.


    ¡°Actually, Miss Barnes¡¯ mother is very sick.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°She had an accident and asked me to bring you. She is desperately looking for you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Lyrica didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Her mother had an accident? What should she do? Did she get hurt while trying to force herself into the Imperial Palace ball?


    My heartbeat was hard when I remembered how I was screaming and crying last night.


    ¡°Go, go. Hurry up and go!¡±


    ¡°This way.¡±


    Lauv hurriedly opened the back wallboard.


    The intact wallboard was missing, but Lyrica did not even recognize it.


    Lauv took her out of the dark alley quickly.


    When she came out of a slightly larger alley and whistled, the hidden wagon came to the front and stopped.


    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±


    It was the first time for Lyrica to see such a large wagon this close. And it¡¯s her first time riding a wagon.


    Lauv opened the door and helped Lyrica climb the wagon. The wheels were so big that she couldn¡¯t climb the wagon alone.


    He advised the restless Lyrica.


    ¡°Miss Barnes, you shouldn¡¯t trust people this easily.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    Embarrassed, Lyrica was about to say something, but the carriage door closed.


    When the carriage came to a stop, Lyrica stuck to the corner of the carriage, like a crippled cat.


    She thought she believed in her senses too much. Perhaps because she had been exposed to danger, Lyrica had a very good sense of bad things.


    Thanks to this, she doesn¡¯t know how many times she avoided dangerous things.


    This is something that even the shoe polisher acknowledged her.


    She wasn¡¯t feeling well, so she stopped being vigilant.


    Grabbing the handle, saying that she¡¯ll never go out and she shoots her eyes that she¡¯ll hold on.


    Lauv, who opened the door, thought for a moment about what to do.


    If he forcefully take her out, she may be going to get scratched, but she couldn¡¯t leave it like this.


    ¡°Miss Barnes.¡±


    ¡°Go, go away!¡±


    Even though Lyrica desperately shouted and stared, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest threat.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if she scratches herself, but she was worried that he would hurt her in the process. She looks so fragile that even when she does nothing, she may bump into him and break her bones.


    ¡°Is it true that my mom got hurt?¡±


    In the meantime, Lauv replied to a question filled with worries as if hesitating.


    ¡°No, your mother is in good health.¡±


    Inside the wagon, there were swear words from slum people who were quite plausible and would never have heard of a noble girl.


    Eventually, he decided to cross his arms and wait for her to calm down.


    Lyrica thought he would kick her as hard as he could if he pulled her out, but when she calmed down, she gradually lost strength in her body.


    The scenery seen outside the door of the wide-open carriage captivated her.


    She saw a beautiful garden and colorful building that she had never seen in her life.


    Even the fountain where the water was rising was making a cheerful sound.


    The surrounding area was neither noisy nor looked like a human trafficking site.


    Looking around little by little, Lyrica crept her hip and approached the door.


    When she approached the door slightly and looked at Lauv, he was out of reach at once.


    Peeking her head out of the door, Lyrica looked around.


    If you look this way, it¡¯s a garden, if you look over there, it¡¯s also a garden. She even found the well-maintained lawns and deciduous mysterious trees.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    Lyrica asked, and Lauv gave a simple answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Star palace.¡±


    ¡°The Star Palace?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the small palaces attached to the imperial palace. Are you ready to get off now?¡±


    At that, Lyrica grabbed the carriage door tightly. Lauv stared at her.


    Lyrica slowly began to enter the carriage.


    Feeling that he had missed the kitten that had come out of the hole, Lauv sighed low, and a person ran out of the palace.


    ¡°Lyrica? Are you here?¡±


    ¡°Uh, mother?¡±


    Her voice was as familiar as her mother¡¯s, but her outfit was so dazzling.


    Lyrica had to check several times to see if her mother was right.


    When she found Lydia, who was almost running, holding the hem of her loose dress with her one hand, Lyrica jumped out of the wagon.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    ¡°Lyrica! Thank God. I¡¯m sorry, were you worried? Mom is sorry, It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Mom¡¯s clothes were soft and made a good sound.


    Her mother¡¯s arms were still warm and her cheeks were soft, so Lyrica said without realizing it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really, really angry.¡±


    Very small. Talking about her own dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, her mother did not get angry or push her away but rather hugged her more strongly.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s my mom¡¯s fault. I did something mean. But I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. I¡¯m so sorry. Huh?¡±


    Lyrica felt weak as her mother apologized repeatedly with a crying voice.


    ¡°I see. What happened to all of these? Where are we now? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go inside and tell you everything.¡±


    Mom got up from her seat with a smile and grabbed her hand tightly. Then she looked back at Lauv.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, Lady Lydia.¡±


    Lauv greeted politely. Lyrica also hesitated and waved, and Lauv also slightly bowed to her.


    Lyrica was surprised and hung on to her mother. She has never seen an adult man bow to her.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in.¡±


    Mom started walking with her as if it were natural, and Lyrica glanced back once more as she went inside.


    Lauv was still standing in the right position, but soon he was covered by a tree and became invisible.


    Moreover, the brilliance of the palace soon captured the young girl¡¯s heart.


    Among the various star palaces attached to the Imperial Palace, the Dawn Star Palace, as its name suggests, was built of marble mixed with pink shades, and gold decorations were surrounded. Among the separate palaces, it was simple, but it gave Lyrica an overwhelming sense of pressure.


    She looked around the palace holding her breath.


    Lydia decided to wash her daughter first. Her brown hair was oily and lumped together, and the nails and under the ears were black.


    There were no maids in the palace, but there was no difficulty because a lot of hot water was already prepared.


    Lyrica was surprised, saying, ¡°Is this a bathtub?¡± She was surprised by the filled hot water, surprised at the water turning black like this, and surprised that soap smells good, but it also tastes bitter and stings her eyes.


    It was just a surprise.


    Sweeping under her solo nails and washing them, Lyrica thought a piece of her leather might have been peeled off.


    After applying warm and sweet fragrant oil, Lyrica wore new clothes. She wore surprisingly soft and thick underwear and wore a dress full of lace.


    It was her first time wearing such a nice outfit that she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    When she wore silk socks and soft sheepskin boots, Lyrica thought that she was dreaming.


    Several times, she swept down soft clothes and savored the texture, and her mother came in with light food.


    It was my first time tasting a jewel-like sparkling jam on soft bread that seemed to melt.


    When she said it was so pretty, her mom told her, ¡°It¡¯s raspberry jam.¡± When she was thirsty, she gave me a yellow drink, which also tasted amazing. It¡¯s called orange juice, but she doesn¡¯t know what orange is, but the world is really wide and there are many delicious things. She was eating bread in a hurry, but her mother asked.


    ¡°Lyrica, were you surprised? Are you okay now?¡±


    Lyrica nodded. She was so surprised that she was out of energy. She thought there would be nothing more surprising.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    As Lyrica whispered, her mother smiled and lowered her voice further.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d attend the Imperial Palace Ball.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I attended the Imperial Palace Ball.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m telling you the truth. So I met his Majesty there.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty?!¡±


    Surprised, the voice rose and then lowered again.


    ¡°His Majesty is a very scary person.¡±


    Lydia laughed as her daughter whispered with a worried face.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, your Majesty is a reasonable man.¡±


    She wondered what the connection between the reasonable and the scary was, then Lyrica asked.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°So mother will marry His Majesty the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Lyrica was so surprised that she didn¡¯t even know that the bread fell off from her hand. Surprisingly, the soft bread did not make any sound even if it fell off.


    Lyrica stared blankly at her mother.


    Her beautiful mother is always the pride of Lyrica. Blue eyes that seem to shine even in the dark with golden hair bending.


    Today, her mother was even more beautiful. To the point where she can¡¯t recognize her for a moment.


    Compared to her mother, she had plain brown hair and half curly hair.


    It would be nice if she had hair that could twist like a cloud. However, her Turkish eyes, similar to her mother¡¯s, were her pride.


    ¡®Oh, no. Lyrica. Don¡¯t run away from reality.¡¯


    Lyrica shook her head and picked up the bread that had fallen to the ground. Her mother took what she was trying to put in her mouth because it was dirty. But she thought that this place will be cleaner than her own room.¡­.


    Looking at the waste of bread, Lyrica said,


    ¡°His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Were you surprised?¡±


    With a single smile and a playful look like a child, Lyrica could not tell if it was true or not.


    ¡°Really? With His Majesty? My mom? The day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Of course, it¡¯s not a normal marriage. I¡¯ll tell you a little secret only to Lyrica.¡±


    Her mother looked around and leaned down.


    Lyrica leaned down together.


    ¡°Actually, this is a contract marriage.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Lilyca was startled but quickly regained her composure. Because this story made more sense than a mother falling in love with the emperor and marrying him the following days.


    Lilyca then asked with a serious face,


    ¡°So that means you have a job?¡±


    Lydia brushed the crumbs from her daughter¡¯s lips and nodded.


    She did have a job.


    It was hard to just admit it, but there was no reason not to say anything at all either.


    Whatever the conditions, whatever the method, a transaction was a transaction, and a contract was a contract.


    ¡°OK.¡±


    Lilyca was relieved by her mother¡¯s words. It was easier to accept that it was a job or a contract.


    Who was Lilyca Vans?


    Wasn¡¯t she the number one worker in the slums with a ¡°work is a credit¡± mindset? Lilyca snapped out of her initial embarrassment and picked up another piece of bread.


    But her mother was going to marry His Majesty the Emperor. So, wouldn¡¯t she become the empress?


    Her smiling mother was extremely beautiful. She could very well play the wife¡¯s role of such a man.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Lilyca made her decision as her cheeks puffed up from the bread shoved into her mouth. Then, she swallowed the food with the orange juice.


    She figured she was going to have to help her mother with her work.


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    When Lilyca asked, Lydia had a rather sulky face.


    ¡°I thought my Lily would be more surprised than that.¡±


    ¡°I was amply surprised.¡±


    ¡°It has been decided that you will be taken as the emperor¡¯s adopted daughter. So, from the day after tomorrow, Lilyca will be a princess.¡±


    ¡°A princess¡­¡±


    Regarding her future work, her mind went completely blank for a second. However, the little girl quickly regained her senses.


    The day after tomorrow, Lilyca will be a contracted princess. A daughter under contract.


    ¡®Either way, it was going to be quite a lot of work.¡¯


    Lilyca thought, slightly embarrassed by herself as she recognized the difficulty of the task ahead of her.


    But what the hell did a princess even have to do?


    Still puzzled, Lilyca asked about the contract. She looked around her and asked in a low voice,


    ¡°If it¡¯s a contract, how long will it last?¡±


    Her mother replied,


    ¡°Until the crown prince becomes an adult as well as the new emperor. So, it will be about eight years.¡±


    ¡°Eight years.¡±


    It¡¯s a very, very long time. She was already 8 years old and she couldn¡¯t understand so many things. Her mother continued,


    ¡°When the contract is over, let¡¯s both buy a house on the outskirts of the capital and live happily together. We will also have a small garden, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    A small house with a little garden meant more to her than an imperial palace or being a princess.


    ¡°Yes. You would play in the garden comfortably and go build your own life afterwards. The money I¡¯ll earn will be huge after all. But be careful,¡± Lydia said seriously. ¡°Never tell a soul. This is strictly secret. This contract must never be revealed.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will never reveal this secret. Even if I die.¡±


    For a moment, her mother¡¯s lips quivered. Lydia hugged Lilyca.


    ¡°I know, Lily. I know you will keep it secret.¡±


    Her voice was shaking slightly and Lilyca patted her mother¡¯s back to let her know that everything was fine. She must have been afraid to do something so daunting.


    Lilyca took a deep breath in a confident voice,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I will work hard to help you.¡±


    At that, her mother smiled slightly and stood up.


    ¡°To begin, I will help you with the first thing you have to do.¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Your contractual wedding which will take place the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Her mother chuckled.


    * * *


    After that, two days passed without a hitch. Lilyca tried to adapt to the situation, but it was a difficult task since everything happened so quickly.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Lilyca. The imperial family, except the emperor¡­ No, not only the imperial family, but the entire Empire was in shock.


    People were, in addition to the sudden news of the emperor¡¯s marriage, surprised by the fact that he had a lover to begin with, and that she was a woman with a child. It became the trending topic of conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get married the next day.¡±


    The emperor only had to say a word, but his subordinates had much more to say than him.


    Fortunately, it was during the spring ball, so the nobles were already gathered in the capital, otherwise, the ceremony would have taken place in an empty temple.


    The hastily prepared wedding dress was also ready for use.


    Seeing the pure white dress, the bride said, ¡°Gather the whole hem of the dress and puff up the buttocks.¡±


    Time was running out so no one bothered to contradict her. So, the maids desperately mended and altered the dress according to Lydia¡¯s instructions.


    It looked like current fashion trends were moving towards another style, but Lilyca hadn¡¯t realised it at the time.


    The emperor¡¯s wedding usually followed a series of steps for at least a year. However, it was currently taking place in just two days.


    In fact, everything was a melting pot of confusion.


    The ceremony was over before rumours about Lydia could even spread.


    The day after the wedding, there was another small ceremony to make Lilyca the emperor¡¯s adopted daughter, and it went like clockwork.


    That day, Lilyca had met her mother. However, the little girl was worried because her mother looked exhausted as if she had not slept all night.


    From that day on, Lilyca was no longer a ¡°Vans¡±. She took the name ¡°Lilyca Nara Takar¡±.


    ¡°Thus, there are only three people that Princess Lilyca will have to bow to; His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince.¡±


    Lilyca listened to her lesson seriously. Her thin face wasn¡¯t as chubby as it should be for her age, but her large eyes sparkled with interest.


    Mrs Glenderin, Lilyca¡¯s new teacher, looked at the little girl with fresh eyes.


    When she had first been asked to teach Lilyca, she had hesitated. Indeed, knowing that the girl came from the slums, she wondered if she should teach such a child.


    But the right to be able to have access to the Sun Palace won her heart.


    The nobility of the Empire is divided into two categories: those who have access to the Sun Palace and those who do not.


    As for the Sky Palace, any noble could enter and exit it, but the Sun Palace, where the emperor resided, was different.


    It was one of the rights granted by the emperor, and most high-ranking nobles had it. Of course, if the emperor did not like a person, their right could be taken away from them.


    Thus, nobles who had access to the court of the Sun Palace were called ¡°aristocrats¡±, half-jokingly and half-seriously, and not simply ¡°nobles¡±.


    It was an opportunity that would never come again for Mrs Glenderin, a noblewoman who had no access to this court.


    So, the lady had sworn to tolerate all the children she taught in the hope of having this right, but the little girl she had met was completely different from the one she had imagined.


    She wasn¡¯t distracted or fidgety, she wasn¡¯t running around and saying vulgar words. Rather than spoiled aristocratic children, her attitude was much more pleasant.


    There was no better partner for a teacher than someone trying to learn. It was a happy relationship.


    So, Mrs Glenderin was teaching Lilyca more comfortably and happily than expected. Sure, it was still unfriendly, but it would get better with time.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s practise your curtsy again to say hello.¡±


    Lilyca got down from her seat. The purpose of the practice was to polish her bow as she bent her knees too much. Unfortunately, Lilyca was struggling to improve her curtsey.


    The little one descended from her seat, curtsied and climbed back to the seat immediately afterwards.


    After some more practice, Mrs Glenderin moved on to the next exercise because there was too much to teach in such a short period of time.


    Having spent most of her time in class, Lilyca was beginning to get worried.


    Since Mrs Glenderin used to come to the palace in the afternoon, she could only see her mother in the morning.


    However, when she went to see her mother in the morning, the servants often told her that she was sleeping because she was tired.


    Annoyance was evident in the demeanour of the maid talking to her, but Lilyca persisted because of her growing concern.


    ¡®What in the world happened last night? Mother continues to sleep because she is tired.¡¯


    After several visits, Lilyca was finally able to meet her mother. Lydia, who welcomed her in a dressing gown on her bed, looked exhausted.


    ¡°Mother, are you okay?¡±


    When Lilyca asked that, Lydia, a little surprised, nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°But you seem so weak¡­ Do you sleep well at night?¡±


    ¡°At night¡­¡± Lydia mumbled. Then she added, gritting her teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important to get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Lydia laughed at her daughter¡¯s worried remarks and said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything is fine.¡±


    She answered her daughter¡¯s other questions and asked some as well.


    They were trivial questions to find out if life at the palace was going well. Then Lilyca left early because she didn¡¯t want to keep bothering her exhausted mother. But actually, Lilyca wanted to stay longer because she was still full of energy, not having had her etiquette lesson yet.


    Besides, Lilyca was a little worried that the maids weren¡¯t taking good care of her mother.


    The little girl sighed deeply and asked,


    ¡°Why is my mother so exhausted?¡±


    At that, the maid who had opened the door for Lilyca chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s because His Majesty torments her every night.¡±


    There was definitely some sarcasm in her voice, but it still came as a shock to Lilyca.


    ¡°His Majesty?!¡±


    Dumbfounded, Lilyca turned to the maid, and the woman confirmed,


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± with a frank smile.


    ¡°So¡­ What I asked should be kept secret?¡± Lilyca wondered aloud, still in shock.


    ¡®His Majesty torments my mother every night?¡¯


    But why the hell was he doing that? Just thinking about it, the little one started to sweat.


    Lilyca knew the dreadful rumours about the emperor.


    Maybe he abused her mother, beat her or made her scream every night?


    When she thought of her mother¡¯s exhausted face today, her anxiety turned to determination.


    ¡®This cannot happen again. However, I must follow the rules of the palace to stop him. What can I do as Lilyca Nara Takar?¡¯


    Lilyca shook her head as she tried to get used to her full name again, which still seemed unfamiliar to her.


    But her concern prevailed over her thoughts.


    Lilyca, who had returned to her room after walking down the long corridor, swallowed her saliva and asked the maid,


    ¡°Can you give His Majesty a request for an audience?¡±


    The maid looked at Lilyca in bewilderment.


    ¡°Are you asking for an audience?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, yes.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The maid called the attendant and repeated Lilyca¡¯s request. The servant looked surprised, but soon left and returned shortly after.


    ¡°His Majesty says if it¡¯s just a moment, you can see him.¡±


    ¡°All right, I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Lilyca jumped up from her seat.


    When the audience was accepted, the maids showed faces half puzzled and half as if they were expecting it.


    One of them should have changed the little girl¡¯s clothes, but the servants did not move. Instead, a maid stopped Lilyca in her tracks, and then said,


    ¡°It will only be for a moment. We don¡¯t have time to change your clothes.¡±


    Lilyca nodded and the maid bowed politely in return.


    ¡°Follow me to meet His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡±


    Lilyca felt embarrassed to impose herself like this on these people, but it was something only a princess could do, so she had to go see the emperor. Lilyca felt her hand shake as she followed the maid.


    ¡®It¡¯s okay, Lilyca. Everything¡¯s going to be alright.¡¯


    While she was paying attention to her appearance, the little girl walked down the long corridor which seemed to be much shorter this time. Lilyca arrived in front of the emperor¡¯s office in an instant.


    It was her first time here, so she felt the need to take a deep breath.


    The maid opened her mouth.


    ¡°Princess Lilyca has arrived.¡±


    The office door opened without a word from inside. The servant bowed and Lilyca entered alone.


    She was so nervous that she forgot not to look straight ahead.


    No one was to be seen standing in His Majesty¡¯s office. He was sitting at his big desk, and she was looking at him straight in the eye. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off his papers, but Lilyca bent her knees hastily.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    A low, crushing voice rang out. Lilyca, feeling a cold sweat running down her back, explained,


    ¡°I came to make a request.¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, M-my mother¡­¡±


    Inhaling for a moment, Lilyca gave strength to her voice.


    ¡°Stop tormenting my mother every night!¡±


    She raised her voice as loud as she could, but it wasn¡¯t resounding either. However, the office became silent as if time had stopped.


    And the next moment, she heard an ¡®Oh¡¯, and a ¡®Wow¡¯. Small sounds of exclamation echoed in the office.


    Surprised, Lilyca added, without realizing it, something close to an excuse.


    ¡°M-mother doesn¡¯t seem to be getting a good n-night¡¯s sleep so she can¡¯t even w-wake up in the morning¡­ Since it¡¯s too hard¡­ So¡­ Please stop h-harassing her¡­¡±


    His Majesty stared blankly at Lilyca and opened his mouth as if embarrassed.


    ¡°Wait, of course, your mother likes¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡±


    ¡°Kof-of-of, KOF!!¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden coughs blooming everywhere in the room. His Majesty frowned and closed his mouth.


    She hadn¡¯t learned it yet, but maybe it was polite to cough when His Majesty speaks?


    Looking at him directly in the eye, Lilyca opened her mouth slightly.


    ¡°Kofu, kofu?¡±


    ¡°Poa ha ha ha.¡±


    A burst of explosive laughter was heard. Taken aback, Lilyca turned her head.


    A tall man with papers in his hands stood in front of the emperor¡¯s desk. He had crouched down and tried to silence the laughter in the room, but Lilyca noticed that his back was still shaking uncontrollably.


    Annoyance could be read in His Majesty¡¯s eyes.


    It was then that Lilyca realised that there were two other people in the office besides His Majesty.


    No, she had already noticed them, but she hadn¡¯t yet analysed their presence in detail.


    The tall, smiling guy seemed to be a knight, and the other man¡­an assistant perhaps?


    Seeing Lilyca all embarrassed without even being able to understand the situation, the man who was standing behind His Majesty approached her. He was a gentle-faced man with brown hair and hazel eyes.


    He had caught her attention because he wore a monocle over one eye.


    The dark circles under his eyes were also impressive.


    He knelt on one knee to make eye contact with Lilyca.


    ¡°Do not worry, that idiot isn¡¯t laughing at you. You are a very brave princess.¡± He added with a smile.


    ¡°His Majesty will no longer harass the Empress every night from now on.¡±


    ¡°Oi.¡±


    His Majesty refuted, but the man answered him, much to his surprise, looking back at the most powerful man in the land without raising even an eyebrow.


    ¡°Will you not?¡±


    Hearing those words made His Majesty look like he had chewed on a shell filled with mud. Then, he looked at Lilyca and he sighed, his face pale and white.


    ¡°OK.¡±


    ¡°T-thank you so much!¡±


    Lilyca smiled broadly as she thanked him.

 Chapter 4

    She immediately lowered her head and gently clasped her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    His Majesty asked with a smirk. Startled, Lilyca looked up again.


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    His Majesty gestured with his finger as Lilyca took a step or two towards him.


    ¡°Just there.¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying to harass the pretty Princess?¡±


    His Majesty¡¯s eyes widened at the dark-haired man¡¯s words.


    ¡°When did I harass her? I just told her to come over here.¡± Then, he looked at Lilyca.


    ¡°Come on, come here now.¡±


    Lilyca gathered her courage and walked around the desk to stand in front of the emperor.


    However, to her surprise, His Majesty picked her up and placed her on his knees.


    ¡°It¡¯s like lifting a candy shell. The only thing I hear is her clothes crinkling. You love your daughter so much, so why did you starve her?¡±


    His Majesty¡¯s words made Lilyca furious. She couldn¡¯t stand someone insulting her mother!


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you so light? If I pushed you with my finger, I think you would fall.¡±


    ¡°My body is strong.¡±


    Lilyca answered without realising. If a person was not in good health, he would not find a job. So, this answer came naturally to her.


    ¡°But look, by just doing that¡­¡±


    His Majesty grabbed his middle finger with his thumb and the little girl fell.


    The shock of the flick made a loud click.


    ¡°?!¡±


    Lilyca, who was sitting facing the emperor in an unsteady posture, fell backwards to the floor.


    ¡°!!¡±


    The child¡¯s face turned scarlet.


    Her forehead and head hurt, but she was even more embarrassed that she fell so easily, so Lilyca tried to be on her feet quickly.


    Fortunately, the carpet was soft, which prevented serious injuries. But the other two men in the office screamed in shock.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Alteos!¡±


    The knight called out the emperor¡¯s name before approaching and lifting Lilyca into a warm embrace.


    ¡°Oh, the Princess is as light as a sugar cookie.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this? Princess, how are you? Your forehead has turned red. And how is the back of your head? Can you tell me if it hurts when I touch you?¡±


    When she saw the friendly, worried look on his face, Lilyca held back her tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, everything is fine.¡±


    But everyone could see the tears flowing. The man¡¯s voice grew cold.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°She said she was strong.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Atil is not so sulky.¡±


    ¡°Besides being a Takar, the Crown Prince is a well-trained boy.¡±


    At this, His Majesty took a deep breath and said,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my first time with a daughter. I will ask the imperial doctor to come. Now sit down comfortably, Princess.¡± He said as he sat Lilyca down on the couch in the corner of the office.


    ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t introduce myself. My name is Lat Sandar. The big guy over there is Tan Wolf, you can call him Tan. It¡¯s unfortunate for the Empire, but surprisingly, he is the commander of the knight-guards.¡±


    At that, Tan snorted and groaned.


    ¡°It must be the imperial misfortune that you are prime minister.¡±


    ¡°Having a brain capable of only responding to what other people say seems even more pathetic.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Tan growled. But Lat ignored him and continued,


    ¡°Oh no, Princess. You are going to have a bump on your forehead.¡± Lat sighed.


    His Majesty, Alteos, called the attendant.


    ¡°Bring anything to snack on. Something the Princess would like.¡±


    At Alteos¡¯ words, the attendant¡¯s eyes widened. Seeing him back away quickly, Lat said to Alteos with a funny face,


    ¡°I think the effort to smooth your faux pas with something delicious is low level, but in the current situation, you did well.¡±


    Besides assessing the newly married empress, everyone had to think about how to treat the adopted daughter, Lilyca. So, if the emperor called Lilyca into his office and gave her sweets, of course, everyone¡¯s attitude will change for the better.


    After all, the most influential person in the palace is the emperor.


    Alteos stared intently at his new daughter.


    In fact, he had completely forgotten about her existence. But now she had become unforgettable.


    How could he forget such an impactful meeting and person?


    The brown, semi-curly hair had a slightly spongy look, very different from her mother¡¯s, but their eye colour was similar.


    Lilyca met His Majesty¡¯s piercing gaze and her forehead hurt again.


    She had the same impression of His Majesty as the first time she had seen him.


    He was tall and very handsome, but one aspect of him didn¡¯t seem human.


    She had heard and thought he was a very scary person, but seeing him like that, she thought maybe he wasn¡¯t that bad. After a while, the doctor entered the room.


    The imperial doctor, who came with a medical bag, winced upon seeing the faces in the office.


    His Majesty the Emperor, the Prime Minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Knights-Guards. All the key people in the empire were gathered.


    The doctor approached and asked, ¡°Where were you hurt?¡± He looked at Lilyca¡¯s wounds and told her that if she put ointment on them, they would go away quickly.


    After a while, the imperial doctor applied some ointment to her forehead and placed a plaster over it.


    As soon as he left, the attendant came in with the snacks.


    There was chocolate in a small cup and a bowl of fried breadsticks. It was obvious that the chef, who had to make snacks in a hurry, had racked his brains.


    ¡°You can dip bread in hot chocolate and eat it.¡±


    The attendant explained nicely before leaving. Hesitantly, Lilyca looked at the beautiful silver tray and asked,


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat it with me?¡±


    ¡°No. Just eat.¡±


    ¡°This was ordered for the princess, wasn¡¯t it? Enjoy it.¡±


    Alteos and Tan said one after the other. Indulging their demands, Lilyca carefully pricked the fried bread with a silver fork, dipped it in the chocolate, and then put it in her mouth.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Her eyes widened and her expression brightened. Seeing the girl like this, the three men also had happy expressions on their faces without realizing it. Lilyca couldn¡¯t believe such a thing could exist in this world. She continued to dip the bread in the hot chocolate and ate the rest of the food diligently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s order something else to drink.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t milk enough?¡±


    After eating sweet bread and refreshing her mouth with milk, Lilyca exhaled a ¡°Phew.¡± before saying,


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±


    As she thanked the adults, the girl also held the glass of milk tightly with both hands as she was afraid of dropping it.


    Then, when she looked up to greet them, she was surprised to see the three of them looking at her with a warm gaze.


    ¡°Uh, do I have something on my face?¡±


    Lat shook his head, but the little one still wondered if she had eaten messily or if there was a trace of food left in the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that the Princess is very cute.¡±


    At Lat¡¯s words, Lilyca¡¯s face flushed red. It was the first time she had heard someone say she was cute.


    Her mother being very beautiful, the little girl was ashamed of not reaching her level. Thus, upon hearing Lat¡¯s words, her fingers and toes wriggled without her noticing.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. Rather than that, Princess, was this story told to you by the Empress?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The story that the Empress would be harassed every night.¡±


    ¡°No, this is not the case!¡±


    Lilyca, stunned, shook her head. She was afraid they would suspect that her mother might have been up to something by using her.


    ¡°I came on my own initiative.¡±


    ¡°So, who told you that?¡±


    At Lat¡¯s words, Lilyca grew flustered and looked away from the cup in her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s, well¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Lat nodded then asked,


    ¡°That¡¯s a different question, but are you enjoying your life right now?¡±


    Lilyca looked up and replied to Lat,


    ¡°I¡¯m working hard.¡±


    It was a strange response, but Lat smiled anyway.


    ¡°I understand that too. Your Majesty, how about making Bryn the princess¡¯ servant?¡±


    Tan raised an eyebrow, Alteos, meanwhile, looked at Lat for a moment then nodded.


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it would be preferable for the position to go to a young person.¡±


    Lat spoke with a soft smile and turned to Lilyca.


    Lilyca thought Lat wasn¡¯t as good a person as he appeared to be.


    ¡®It is rare for a good person to have such a high position.¡¯


    Being nice didn¡¯t mean having a weak heart, but in Lilyca¡¯s mind, it was all the same. People in high positions are determined, sometimes cold and heartless. So, wouldn¡¯t the prime minister, Lat, be the same?


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you two talk about work. Princess, come, I¡¯ll walk you back.¡±


    Tan waved with her hand, thus ending the conversation. Lilyca hurriedly jumped up from the sofa and said,


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can go back alone.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. A princess should not be seen without company. I could let a servant do it, but I will do it today.¡± Tan retorted with a wink. Then he added, ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to skip work for a while.¡±


    Lilyca replied, ¡°really?¡±


    She was embarrassed, not knowing how to react. Instantly, Tan grabbed her and placed her on his shoulder.


    ¡°Kyaa?!¡±


    Tan gripped the flabbergasted Lilyca¡¯s legs to hold her in place. Due to the several layers of petticoats worn inside, no one saw the girl¡¯s underwear, which saved her from an embarrassing situation. However, the posture she was in seemed rather shameful to her.


    ¡°Ta, Sir Tan.¡±


    ¡°You can just call me Tan. The Takar never call others this way unless they are among themselves.¡±


    [NB: ¡°?¡±, which was used at the end of Tan¡¯s name, is a Korean suffix that signifies respect. Lilyca is now royalty, so it¡¯s strange for her to respect Tan so much.]


    Tan smiled and left the office with Lilyca on her shoulder. The attendant who was waiting outside widened his eyes.


    Of course, Lilyca was very embarrassed, but Tan didn¡¯t even notice.


    However, even though she was high up, she wasn¡¯t afraid of falling because Tan¡¯s hand held her in place firmly and his shoulders were wide and comfortable. In addition, it was quite pleasant to contemplate the surroundings from this height.


    ¡®Okay, let¡¯s stop caring about the shame. Maybe this is how a princess goes for a walk? And I am a princess now. So, let¡¯s act like one.¡¯


    But Lilyca still tried to regain her dignity by positioning herself differently.


    ¡°Guide me to the Princess¡¯ residence.¡±


    At Tan¡¯s words, the attendant took the lead and began to show them the way. Lilyca looked around and asked what came to her mind,


    ¡°By the way, Tan.¡±


    It tickled Lilyca internally when she disrespectfully called out the name of someone much older and taller than her.


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    But Tan responded immediately as if he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°If you have the surname Wolf, maybe you know Lauv¡­?¡±


    The reason the words sounded so stretched out was that Lilyca passed from talking with honorific to without it. Tan nodded.


    ¡°He is also part of my clan. Maybe about six villages further.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. Tell him I¡¯m sorry for the rude words I said the other day.¡±


    Lilyca asked in a small whisper. Tan replied with a curious face,


    ¡°Rude words?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I thought Lauv was trying to kidnap me¡­¡±


    At her explanation, Tan simply smiled again.


    ¡°Princess, I want to say some pretty harsh words to you, may I?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At that moment, her heart became lighter and Lilyca turned her gaze forward.


    Arrived at their destination, Tan had just dropped off Lilyca in front of the room. Then he said to her,


    ¡°Around me, there are only men who are vicious. Of course, for my part, I find it very amusing. On those words, please excuse me.¡±


    Tan, in a knightly manner, saluted her respectfully.


    Lilyca let out a long sigh.


    She had used too much energy this morning. She also had to rest until Mrs Glenderin arrived.


    ¡®Nevertheless, the fried bread was delicious. Hot chocolate too.¡¯


    And what about this wonderful taste? She hadn¡¯t expected this black liquid to be so delicious.


    Lilyca thought before sitting down in the high chair that was placed near the window.


    She could see part of the garden from here, so she liked to sit on that side.


    The little one stared fixedly at the garden, and just as she was about to open a spelling book, she heard a hubbub coming from outside.


    The door swung open and a girl who looked to be about fifteen years old entered. A shiny headband drew Lilyca¡¯s attention to her short, neat hair.


    She strode forward and gave a deft curtsy to Lilyca, who was sitting in front of her and said,


    ¡°My name is Bryn Sol, Your Highness. From today onward, I am the servant of the Imperial Princess. Please take care of me.¡±


    Oh, that¡¯s right. Lat had mentioned her earlier.


    Lilyca nodded.


    ¡°Take good care of me too.¡±


    Bryn stopped her curtsy and clasp her hands tightly.


    ¡°So, Princess, I have orders from His Majesty to move your room. So, I¡¯ll help you move out first.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t worry and follow me. The servants will carry your luggage.¡±


    Lilyca was puzzled, but she had no choice but to follow His Majesty¡¯s orders.


    Entering the new room, Lilyca let out a small cry of exclamation. The original room was incredibly colourful and pretty.


    But not as much as the new one. When she entered the room, she saw a lovely living room. Then, the window which offered a bright view of the whole garden, and that, at a single glance.


    The bedroom also had a large window, framed by a thin, delicate ledge.


    It seemed that this room was at least three times larger than the previous one, so just walking around this room was a bit of an exercise for Lilyca. Then Bryn asked,


    ¡°How do you like it, Princess? Do you like your new room? It is also closer to the residence of the Empress.¡±


    ¡°Really? Yes, I love it. I can also see the entire garden from the window. Can I go out?¡±


    The previous room didn¡¯t have a balcony, but this one had a big enough one.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Bryn opened the window and Lilyca cautiously stepped out onto the balcony.


    ¡°Wow!¡± The girl exclaimed happily. Standing in such a high place made her heart race, but she also found it amusing.


    It looked like when the Commander-in-Chief of the Knights-Guards had slung her over his shoulder earlier.


    The balcony was also large enough to drink tea.


    Bryn smiled with satisfaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, Princess. This room is called ¡°The White Dragon Room¡±.¡±


    ¡°White dragon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You know the First Emperor Takar is a dragon, right? In the Sun Palace, all rooms of the imperial family have dragons. The Crown Prince lives in the chamber of the Black Dragon. And the Empress¡¯ room is always the Silver Dragon¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know that at all.


    So, what was the old room called?


    Lilyca didn¡¯t ask because it might put Bryn in a sticky situation. Anyway, the previous room was probably not named after a dragon.

 Chapter 5

    Bryn explained to Mrs Glenderin that Lilyca¡¯s forehead was injured, so she told her not to enter the palace today.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you contact the empress and visit her? It¡¯s tea time.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    Bryn grinned brightly when she saw a smile bloom on Lilyca¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes. Of course.¡±


    Bryn ordered another maid, ¡°Pass the message to the Empress.¡± All the maids Lilyca had originally changed, but they obeyed Bryn as if they always had been her maidservants.


    After a while, the maid returned and politely said, ¡°The Empress tells you to come.¡±


    Lilyca smiled broadly, holding back her desire to run and step out into the hallway.


    Indeed, her mother¡¯s room was not too far, just up the stairs.


    ¡°Lily, you¡¯re so cute!¡±


    As soon as she entered the drawing-room, her mother hugged her. Lilyca busted into a happy laugh.


    Now there were no worries. His Majesty had promised not to bother her mother, so she would be able to see her every morning.


    Lydia hugged Lily tightly and looked at Bryn.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Bryn Sol, Your Majesty. I have been newly appointed as Princess Lilyca¡¯s handmaiden.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Sol family.¡±


    As her mother spoke in a strange tone, Lilyca raised her head. Her mother looked at Bryn with a smile. Bryn was also smiling and gently lowering her gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡±


    Lydia said and looked at her daughter, who pondered in her arms, a bit puzzled.


    ¡®I¡¯m telling you.¡¯ [NB: It¡¯s Lydia¡¯s inner thoughts]


    Lydia laughed. She was worried and proud of her daughter at the same time.


    Until Lydia took her place as empress, Lilyca had no choice but to stay in the guest room.


    Because the emperor didn¡¯t care about it. Lydia thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to replace the maids or teachers around Lily until she took control of the inner palace.


    In her previous life, there were a lot of people who secretly sabotaged her under the pretext of not acknowledging her, a woman who became empress overnight.


    However, didn¡¯t Lily go to the emperor directly and win her place with her own hands?


    ¡®She was so cute.¡¯


    The emperor was bound to be left out.


    She snorted inwardly. ¡®Just try to raise one finger on my Lily.¡¯


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Lilyca tilted her head when she saw her mother smirking silently.


    She was adorable. How can her daughter be so lovable? And why didn¡¯t she notice it before?


    Regretting her past foolishness, Lydia hugged Lily twice as hard. Lilyca giggled in a jolt of joy. Her mother wrapped her arms around Lily, went inside and sat down.


    Refreshments were quickly placed on the table at her beck and call.


    ¡°Lily, you said you went to visit His Majesty the Emperor?¡±


    Lilyca looked at Lydia, startled by her words. She didn¡¯t expect her mother to know about it already.


    Looking at her daughter half-heartedly, Lydia explained,


    ¡°His Majesty has come to tell me.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lydia sighed and hugged her daughter around her shoulders.


    ¡°Lily, I appreciate your kind gesture, but you don¡¯t have to risk anything. You don¡¯t know how surprised Mom was to hear the news.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    Lilyca bowed her head. Her mother hugged her tightly and gently stroked her hair with her fingertips.


    ¡°I know. My sweet Lily is worried about her mother. But Mommy is also worried about Lily.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Lydia smiled and kissed her daughter¡¯s forehead.


    Then, Lilyca said softly,


    ¡°Still, His Majesty didn¡¯t seem like a bad person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    Lydia said seriously.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t believe that because he treated you with kindness once. That doesn¡¯t make him a nice person. Got it? That snake, no, I mean¡­ that man can stab another person¡¯s back with a smile on his face.¡±


    At the warning, Lilyca swallowed her saliva and nodded. Lydia relaxed her expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to scare you, but it¡¯s better to be careful. Anyway, thank you. I feel better now. Would you like to sleep with Mommy tonight?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s sleep together since it has been a long time.¡±


    Lilyca smiled brightly at her mother¡¯s words. Tea and sweets were delicious, but above all else, she was happy to spend time with her mother.


    In the meantime, a tailor came by and brought a new style of dress design.


    Everything was pretty and beautiful, but Lilyca was a little disappointed.


    The dress named ¡°Bustle Style¡± was, of course, pretty. Her mother also said that from now on, ¡°This dress is going to take over the world.¡± And the tailor laughed.


    ¡°It already has.¡±


    That¡¯s what Lilyca wanted to say.


    Lilyca thought that this clothing was probably a crinoline dress that was widespread in high society.


    But she couldn¡¯t tell her mother about that.


    Time flew by as she watched her mother put on new dresses, talked with her, and made party invitations.


    It was incomparably blissful to fall asleep in her mother¡¯s gentle embrace, wearing soft pyjamas and sleeping on downy pillows at night.


    In the morning, Lilyca overslept for a long time.


    ***


    ¡®Obviously, Mother had told me not to visit His Majesty but¡­¡¯


    Somehow, since that day, Lilyca was called to His Majesty¡¯s office every day. She didn¡¯t do much when she went there.


    Snacks were served, and while eating the sweets, she just listened to the stories of His Majesty, Lat, and Tan who often appeared.


    Her mother was dumbfounded about this situation and had argued with His Majesty, but His Majesty seemed to have won.


    Delicious snacks were brought every day, and Lilyca slowly got used to the office atmosphere and relaxed a bit.


    Sometimes, she came to her senses thinking about her mother¡¯s words.


    When His Majesty asked questions, Lilyca answered them as seriously as possible.


    Then, for some reason, Tan often smiled peacefully, and Lat turned his head and coughed lightly.


    Alteos sighed as he looked at Lilyca, who was greedily eating the chef¡¯s financiers.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she grow up?¡±


    Lat raised his brows, asking what he was talking about.


    ¡°What do you mean all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°The little one. Why isn¡¯t she growing up when I feed her so well?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, it hasn¡¯t even been ten days yet.¡±


    ¡°Atil seemed to be growing every day. Maybe she has some kind of disease?¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty. The Princess is not a Takar, not a Barat, not a Sandar, not a Wolf, and she is not a noble in any way.¡±


    Lilyca rolled her eyes. She raised one of her hands, and Alteos asked,


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any disease and I¡¯m strong. I also am growing well. Bryn said I will soon be able to wear bigger clothes.¡±


    Then, Lilyca added cautiously,


    ¡°And I¡¯m also a Takar.¡±


    Although she was an adopted daughter, she was a Takar anyway.


    Lilyca Nara Takar.


    Isn¡¯t that her new name?


    As a contract princess, she insisted that ¡°Takar¡± was correct.


    There¡¯s no point in signing a contract if you stepped back from an important position, right?


    Lat smiled brightly at Lilyca¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right. The princess is also a Takar.¡±


    ¡°Are you really growing? Aren¡¯t you supposed to grow up at least one finger a week?¡±


    Alteos said and looked at Lilyca half-heartedly. ¡°Yet, If I take a closer look, your face is definitely smoother and less dry than when we first met.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who grows up like what you¡¯re describing. If that was the case, then it would be a disease.¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Alteos raised an eyebrow and smiled.


    ¡°I grew up like that¡±


    ¡°Well, Your Majesty is not human.¡±


    It was said as a joke, but a subtle atmosphere spread throughout the office like a wave.


    A child who had grown up in the slums was sensitive to these negative emotions.


    Did she say something wrong? She did think that saying he was not human would sound rude but¡­


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    Alteos asked lightly, but Lilyca knew there was more to it. She had to answer without making any mistakes. Lilyca said softly,


    ¡°Bryn said it. The imperial family are descendants of dragons. So, you¡¯re a dragon.¡±


    Alteos sighed with relief and his expression loosened. Then, Lat intervened,


    ¡°The princess is right. But saying that His Majesty is not a person can be misunderstood, so it is better not to say it.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what everyone thinks.¡±


    Alteos snorted. Lilyca explained quickly,


    ¡°I thought it was really cool when I heard it! It¡¯s truly awesome!¡±


    When Bryn had explained the name of her new room, Lilyca had asked, ¡°Then, what do you call His Majesty¡¯s room?¡±


    Bryn had replied with a smile,


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s room doesn¡¯t have a dragon¡¯s name. Because His Majesty is a dragon.¡±


    ¡°I was impressed with the story! I thought it was a myth becoming reality!!¡±


    Lilyca tried her best to convey that emotion to His Majesty.


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Alteos gestured with his hand. Realising that he was telling her to come closer, Lilyca hurried towards him.


    Alteos thought it was funny.


    He¡¯d be dead if he dragged her by the hand. She had to come voluntarily.


    It was not that Lilyca was fearless when she approached him.


    He knew that. He also knew he could very well threaten her. But she believed that he wouldn¡¯t hurt her, and seeing her running toward him like this, he didn¡¯t want to break that trust.


    He put his arms around her waist and placed her on his lap.


    Now that he was used to it, his posture was much better than before.


    A child¡¯s heart was beating much faster, with a much smaller sound than an adult¡¯s. Their body temperature was high, and their weight surprisingly light.


    Few people could look directly at him, but when Lilyca acted this way, she looked just like her mother.


    ¡®Lydia is the same.¡¯


    Lydia, who offered him a contract marriage, looked at him like this.


    Until the Crown Prince Atil becomes emperor, he will be her support.


    To be able to do everything as the empress of the empire.


    However, there are limits to what the emperor can do, and the social world is a completely different battlefield. Could she handle all those sly foxes?


    So far, she has been doing better than expected.


    But compared to such a mother, what could he say about her daughter?


    ¡®It¡¯s a type I¡¯ve never seen before.¡¯


    It was interesting because she was a type of human being that was difficult to see in court.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    As Lilyca called him carefully while tilting her head, Alteos grinned.


    ¡°Why do you call me Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Am I not your father?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, that is correct?¡±


    ¡°Then? Now, call me.¡± Seeing Alteos talking like that, Lilyca looked around. Lat was watching their interaction with interest.


    ¡°Well, uh¡­¡±


    Her thought started to swirl round and round. His Majesty was scary, but also a good man. However, did that mean she was allowed to call him father? Even if it¡¯s just for work?


    Did she have to call him that way because of her new job? But wouldn¡¯t she be told that her behaviour was arrogant?


    Lilyca repeated the words in her head.


    Father. Father. [NB: In Korean, she¡¯s thinking ¡®??? (Father). ???? (Special way to call someone father, exclusive to royalty).]


    To her, a father was something existing only in dreams. But in front of her, was the person who will be her father for at least 8 years.


    He existed now, in reality. When she thought about it, for some reason, tears flowed down her cheeks. Lilyca was startled and slapped her cheeks. No adult liked to see a child cry.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    Alteos grabbed her hands. She hit herself because there was nowhere else to hit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°No, just because I married your mother doesn¡¯t mean I magically became a father to you. It¡¯s my fault for forcing you like that.¡±


    Alteos said and reached out to Lat.


    ¡°Handkerchief.¡±


    Lat silently handed him a clean handkerchief. Alteos, as he wiped Lilyca¡¯s face, continued,


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Your mother will go crazy again if she finds out that I made you cry.¡±


    As he sighed, Lilyca smiled involuntarily. Regardless, it was fortunate that the relationship between her mother and His Majesty seemed to be good.


    ¡°Come on, blow it here.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s face turned bright red when she was told to blow her nose.


    ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing her, so stop it,¡± Lat said.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Taking the handkerchief from Alteos¡¯ hand, Lilyca wiped away her tears and runny nose. Then, Alteos ruffled her hair abruptly.


    Recognising that it was a rough but caring touch, Lilyca smiled. Taking the handkerchief from Lilyca¡¯s hand, and throwing it at Lat, Alteos said,


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go back to work.¡±


    With Lilyca on his lap, he turned the chair to the desk.


    It didn¡¯t look like he was going to ask to call him ¡°Father¡± anymore. Lilyca felt sorry for it, so she repeated the word ¡°Father¡± in her head and silently moved her tongue.


    She suddenly felt closer to the fearful emperor.


    ¡®Father, Father.¡¯


    Will he ask her to call him this way again?


    Tickles pricked her stomach as she was feeling embarrassed. This feeling made Lilyca wriggle until something caught her eyes.


    ¡®It¡¯s dirty!¡¯


    She didn¡¯t notice it before because it was covered with paper, but the ink had overflowed and was drying near the inkwell. Pencils were also rolling around wildly in a sea of crumpled paper.


    Lilyca couldn¡¯t stand that her father¡¯s, no, His Majesty¡¯s desk was so dirty. She wanted to do something for His Majesty.


    Lilyca said cautiously,


    ¡°Excuse me, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Can I wipe the ink bottle for you?¡±


    ¡°Ink bottle?¡±


    ¡°The ink is dry at the entrance. It will be much cleaner if you wipe it with warm water.¡±


    Lilyca said, pointing toward his inkwell. Lat frowned and was about to say something, but Alteos meekly agreed.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Who cares? I¡¯m saying this because I don¡¯t like people going back and forth. Lilyca, you can use anyone you want, so make yourself comfortable in the office.¡±


    At Alteos¡¯ words, Lat pressed his palm to his forehead. His Majesty could think that was just favouritism, but wasn¡¯t he just pampering the princess?

 Chapter 6

    It was dizzy to think that a child was walking around the office.


    It was more likely that things to do would increase.


    In fact, Alteos said he didn¡¯t like when his office became crowded, so only the prime minister, Lat, and sometimes Tan, were allowed to enter the office at all times.


    Therefore, while Lat had to do his usual paperwork, he felt his head spin thinking that the work could potentially increase again.


    Lilyca quickly called the attendant to bring her warm water, a cloth, a bag and a stepping board.


    She seemed quite accustomed to calling people over.


    She wiped the inkwell clean and started moving around to tidy up the office. The contents of the trash can were first put in the bag, before being thrown outside to separate the processed and non-processed documents.


    To his surprise, the little girl seemed to be able to read letters.


    When Lat asked, her face turned red and she mumbled quietly, ¡°I know just a few of them.¡±


    In addition to that, she worked much more diligently than Lat had expected, such as replenishing the stacks with new papers.


    Tan, who came in a bit later, quickly noticed that the office had been cleaned.


    ¡°Thanks to the princess, the office is tidy.¡±


    After complimenting her for her excellence, he gave her a glass bottle full of colourful candies and spoke, ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s okay to have the Princess do chores?¡±


    Lilyca was delighted and gave candy to His Majesty and Lat, and later on to Bryn.


    ¡°Huh? Sir Wolf?¡±


    Bryn looked at the candies in the glass bottle and asked. Lilyca nodded her head.


    She carefully wrapped the glass bottle with both hands and lifted it.


    The glass bottle was very pretty, the coloured candy inside beautiful, and even the taste was sweet.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t calling him Sir Wolf too much? I know that I add ¡°Sir¡± to his name, but am I wrong to do that?¡±


    Bryn giggled at Lilyca¡¯s question.


    ¡°Yes. But Sir Wolf¡¯s synonymous with Sir Tan Wolf, so wouldn¡¯t it be okay?¡±


    She enjoyed the candy Lilyca gave her by rolling the sweet thing inside her mouth.


    The Sol family had served the imperial family for generations and took great pride in serving the Takar family.


    Therefore, if ¡°Bryn Sol¡±, a direct descendant of the Sol family, was given the imperial princess¡¯s handmaiden position, it was no different from saying that the adopted daughter would be treated as a real member of the imperial family.


    Of course, some in the Sol family were angry that they attached Bryn to ¡°a child who is not a real Takar¡±. But Bryn thought it was ridiculous.


    His Majesty the Emperor was the emperor. If it was a Takar¡¯s command, even if the other person was not a real Takar, you must serve them as if they were.


    In addition, the current emperor¡¯s temper was quite twisted, so the Sol family would be pushed away if they refused, didn¡¯t they know that?


    Besides, Bryn liked this princess much more than the real Takar family.


    Her older brother, Bran, was a servant of the Crown Prince, and wasn¡¯t he already on stomach pills? She liked the fact that her new master was ordinary. It made her stand out more in this monster heaven. Then, the princess looked into the candy bottle and asked seriously,


    ¡°Excuse me, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not growing up?¡±


    Lilyca was still worried about Alteos¡¯ words.


    Bryn tilted her head at her question and asked,


    ¡°No, you¡¯re growing well. Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°The truth is-¡±


    Bryn giggled as Lilyca recounted Alteos and Lat¡¯s conversation. Then, she said,


    ¡°Princess, can I tell you an interesting story?¡±


    ¡°Anything. Bryn¡¯s stories are always good.¡±


    Bryn started the conversation after laughing brightly at Lilyca¡¯s words,


    ¡°Your Highness, I told you that the Takar family descended from dragons, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Shall we talk more about the founding of our country? People in the old days used to be great wizards. They could do anything they thought. God told them to use their ¡°will¡± for good, but people didn¡¯t. And then there was a conflict, and the human continent broke down and sank.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s ears pricked up. It was the first time she heard this story. When she was in the slums, all she could hear were swear words or talks about money. There was no chance for her to hear such an old story.


    ¡°But some people listened to God¡¯s command and built a boat on top of the mountain. The moment the continent crashed and sank, a dragon came, grabbed the boat and flew away. Those on board survived. And they came over to this land where we are now.¡±


    Bryn lowered her voice and took an eerie tone.


    ¡°At that time, the land was covered with dark forests and swamps, and there were all kinds of monsters living there. Dragons and humans set up their homes, fought against monsters, and pioneered the country.¡±


    ¡°Was that dragon a Takar?¡±


    Suddenly Lilyca asked a question, and Bryn nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is said the dragon turned into a human and led the people. As the country expanded, some intelligent monsters asked if they could join the dragon as well.¡±


    Bryn raised her arms high above her head and said,


    ¡°There were wolves this big. Their descendants are said to be the Wolf family. There also were snakes as thick and big as a rhododendron tree, and their descendants are called Sandar.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s eyes widened. So, she was saying that Lat¡¯s ancestor was a snake and Tan¡¯s ancestor a wolf?


    Bryn wrapped up the story.


    ¡°The dragon made them human, and they swore allegiance to the dragon. It is said that if they disobey the dragon, they will return to their original form. So, if you look at the crests of high nobles, they are often animals.¡±


    Then, with a slightly bored face, she said slowly,


    ¡°And as if to prove it, they are all strong, and hmm, very healthy.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lilyca exhaled a long breath. It would have been much more exciting to listen to this story by a bonfire in the dark of the night, but hearing it now was interesting too.


    ¡®I understand better, Lat is a snake and Tan a wolf. It suited them. It also explained why they didn¡¯t always get along.¡¯


    ¡°So, the Princess is growing up well. It¡¯s just that they are growing up too well.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilyca nodded her head vigorously. She went on to ask,


    ¡°Then do Bryn¡¯s family have such a story?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is said we were crows. We were smart and cunning, so the dragon kept us as servants.¡±


    At Bryn¡¯s words, Lilyca laughed and nodded. She now understood why Bryn¡¯s headband sparkled.


    ¡®Bryn knows a lot more about the Imperial Palace than I do.¡¯


    Of course, the little girl thought she would, but every time she heard a story like this, she realised it anew.


    ¡®I can¡¯t work properly if I don¡¯t know anything.¡¯


    A contract princess. A contract daughter.


    Even if it was something that came as an addition to her mother¡¯s contract, and it wasn¡¯t expected of her, Lilyca¡¯s pride depended on it.


    Somehow, Lilyca wanted to finish this contract splendidly.


    That way, she thought she would be proud when she finished the contract and moved into a house with a garden with her mother.


    So, she really needed information. Information that would make her a great princess.


    ¡°Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Sit here.¡±


    Lilyca tapped the seat next to her. Bryn said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± and sat down lightly on the sofa.


    ¡°I want to be a great princess.¡±


    If she was going to become a princess anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to be an excellent princess rather than a mediocre one?


    As Lilyca expressed her wish, Bryn nodded earnestly and said, ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything about the Imperial Palace. My knowledge is limited about the nobles, and above all, the imperial family. Bryn, you know much more than I do because you have served the imperial family for a long time.¡±


    Lilyca held Bryn¡¯s hand tightly and said with the purest expression on her face,


    ¡°So, Bryn, will you help me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness¡­¡±


    Bryn, her cheeks slightly red, suspired.


    As a member of the Sol family who has served the Takar for a long time, she never imagined she would hear such words from a Takar.


    The blood of the Sol family, deeply engraved in her bones was boiling. ¡°Of course, Princess. I, Bryn Sol, will help you with all my heart. Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bryn!¡±


    Bryn looked at her twinkling eyes and asked, ¡°So, what do you want to know first?¡±


    ¡°The Imperial Palace.¡±


    ¡°The palace?¡±


    Bryn tilted her head, a bit surprised. Lilyca explained,


    ¡°From now on, this is my house. But it¡¯s not just that I don¡¯t know its structure well yet. I don¡¯t even know who lives there.¡±


    No matter what kind of house someone entered and what he had to do there, the first thing he needed to understand was its hierarchy.


    She had to figure out how people moved, what their allegiance was and their identity. Only then would she be able to move freely and proceed to the next step.


    Bryn smiled broadly.


    ¡°I understand. You can trust me.¡±


    The next day, it was the floor plan of the palace that Bryn preciously put on a long table. If it was known that she had an item that was meticulously marked with every secret passage, her tongue would be removed. Unaware of it, Lilyca was just amazed.


    ¡°How many rooms are there? It¡¯s amazing. What¡¯s this passage?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the servants¡¯ aisle. It¡¯s connected to those servants¡¯ doors.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a separate way for servants, huh¡­ I didn¡¯t know. What about this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret escape route.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a secret escape route, is it okay to draw it on the map?¡±


    ¡°Normally not,¡± Bryn replied nonchalantly. ¡°But the Sol family has a deep connection with the imperial family.¡±


    ¡°As expected, I¡¯m glad I asked Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Fufu.¡±


    Bryn smiled lightly, then rolled up the map and said,


    ¡°After roughly studying the Imperial Palace¡¯s structure, it¡¯s best to walk around to help us memorise it. Even if it¡¯s bothersome.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And it¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t bother me at all.¡±


    It was boring to stay in the room all the time, so Lilyca quickly jumped out of her chair.


    Lilyca and Bryn walked around the palace grounds. Often there was a room blocked off by soldiers.


    Each time, Bryn¡¯s eyes narrowed, but she had to turn around to appease her bubbling annoyance.


    It was not easy to look around because the Sun Palace alone was enormous.


    In addition, as they walked around actively, everyone they met had to step back toward the hallway and get used to bowing to Lilyca.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Lat!¡±


    Meeting a familiar face, Lilyca greeted him warmly. Lat, who said hello in return, raised his head and commented,


    ¡°You look busy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m walking around, trying to figure out the structure of the palace.¡±


    ¡°The structure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my house, so I thought I should know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lat smiled brightly when she said that.


    ¡°Was there a place you could not go into?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Yes. There was a place the soldiers blocked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡±


    Lat smiled coldly before speaking kindly to Lilyca.


    ¡°If you go to the Knights-Guards¡¯ room, Tan will be there. Talk to him and tell him about those soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What is the Princess¡¯s last name?¡±


    ¡°Takar.¡±


    ¡°Yes, do not forget that.¡±


    Lat straightened his back and looked at Bryn, then said,


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to have the support of the Sol family.¡±


    Bryn grinned. Lat said that he would excuse himself first, and when Lilyca allowed him, he quickly walked down the corridor and disappeared.


    Lilyca asked, looking back at Bryn.


    ¡°Do you know where the Knight-Guards¡¯ room is?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Bryn began to walk with a brisk gait, and Lilyca followed behind.


    There was a considerable distance between the Sun Palace and the Sky Palace. In addition, there were other small buildings on either side of it, and the Knight-Guards¡¯ place was one of them.


    Knights stood guard in front of the Knight-Guards¡¯ building, a wide smoke chamber behind them.


    Everyone gathered in twos and threes and chatted, but only one person stood far from them and guarded the door diligently. That person was familiar, and Lilyca widened her eyes.


    ¡°Sir Lauv.¡±


    Lauv greeted her.


    ¡°Nice to see you again, Princess. What made you come this far?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Tan.¡±


    ¡°The Commander-in-Chief Wolf is inside.¡±


    When Lilyca stepped inside, she heard a roaring voice exclaim, ¡°the Princess is here!¡±


    Lilyca stiffened in surprise, then barely answered,


    ¡°H-hello.¡±


    No wonder everyone was looking this way with sparkling eyes, so Lilyca stretched her back.


    Everyone was very tall, so she wanted to look a little taller.


    She wanted to tiptoe, but the skirt was too short, so it would be obvious if she did that.


    Still, she raised her heels slightly, so that it was not noticeable.


    ¡°Hm? Princess? What are you doing here?¡±


    As it became noisy outside, Tan rushed out of a room. From the inside, a bitter cry rang out, ¡°Commander, please, the documents-!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I have something to tell you. I met Lat earlier-¡±


    Lilyca stopped talking. She was concerned if it was something that could be said in front of so many people.


    Tan nodded as if he knew when he saw Lilyca hesitating.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    He gave her a big hug and Lilyca let out a small scream in surprise.


    Tan turned his head to her and said,


    ¡°Now, you can whisper, right? So, it¡¯s okay for the maid to put her weapon down. If she takes something like that in front of a Wolf, she¡¯ll die.¡±


    Astonished, Lilyca turned around and saw Bryn holding a dagger.


    The knights around them were looking at her with narrowed eyes.


    ¡®They look like real wolves.¡¯


    Lilyca saw some of the knights¡¯ attitudes getting threatening, so she quickly said,


    ¡°Bryn, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°You must not recklessly touch the Princess¡¯s body.¡±


    Bryn spoke sharply and put the dagger away. Lilyca didn¡¯t know where the dagger came from.


    Bryn shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I apologised beforehand. And isn¡¯t it fine since we are friends?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    When Lilyca opened her eyes in surprise, Tan made a puzzled face.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are! So, I¡¯m happy, extremely happy.¡±


    Lilyca said with a bright smile on her face.


    Tan thought, ¡®How cute.¡¯ And listened to her again.


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Well-¡±


    Looking around, Lilyca whispered in his ear. It was a story that members of the Wolf family with good ears could easily perceive, but appearances were important, weren¡¯t they?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I came to borrow a knight.¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Tan lightly rubbed his chin and smiled,


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to go.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Lilyca¡¯s voice sounded confused since she was surprised.


    ¡°Uh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°However.¡±


    ¡°Are there any problems?¡±


    Lilyca looked at the man standing in the doorway of the commander¡¯s room with a blank expression. Tan, who followed Lilyca¡¯s gaze and turned around, said sternly,


    ¡°You know that working for the Imperial Family comes first.¡±


    The old man sighed deeply and bowed his head.


    ¡°Please go. Commander.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With a solemn nod, Tan walked out of the Knight-Guards¡¯ room while holding the princess lightly with one arm. Lilyca said softly,


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d say no.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Laughing out loud, Tan said to Lilyca,


    ¡°Princess, did you learn how many people you have to bow to?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    Lilyca spread three fingers. Tan nodded seriously.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Princess. His Majesty¡¯s orders are called dragon words. And the dragon is absolute in this empire. Even if His Majesty put up a scarecrow and said ¡°it¡¯s a Takar¡±, all the nobles of the empire would have to bow before it.¡±


    Lilyca widened her eyes.


    For a while now, she was working hard to say confidently, ¡®I am a princess. I am a princess.¡¯ She had memorized the phrase by heart, but she never thought it would be so powerful.


    Of course, His Majesty was great, and her mother was awesome too.


    Yet, the little girl thought she wasn¡¯t. But with this, Lilyca felt like her eyes were suddenly opened.


    ¡°His Majesty has officially registered you as his daughter. Which means you¡¯re the only princess in the Takar Empire.¡±


    Bryn nodded from behind.


    All kinds of negative words were about to come out of Lilyca¡¯s mouth.


    She didn¡¯t know about Tan, but she was a contract princess and an adopted daughter, and only for a short time.


    Tan gently lifted his gaze that fixed the floor.


    He winked playfully.


    ¡°You are a princess who only needs to use her chin to lead the Imperial Knight-Guards.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She was embarrassed and made a strange sound, but Tan was the one to laugh out loud. The distance, which was so long when she was the one to walk, was reduced in an instant thanks to Tan.


    He said casually in a light voice,


    ¡°There are only four Takars in existence today. His Majesty, the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Princess. In other words, you¡¯re now second in line to the throne.¡±


    That was beyond what Lilyca could process; it didn¡¯t feel real.


    Lilyca said,


    ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t matter because His Highness will be there anyway, right?¡±


    Tan nodded.


    ¡°Yes. What I mean is that the Princess has a very high position.¡±


    Arriving at the entrance to the Sun Palace, Tan asked,


    ¡°So, where were you blocked?¡±


    ¡°Can I lead you there?¡±


    Bryn said with a smile on her face, and Tan nodded. Bryn added,


    ¡°How about catching him red-handed?¡±


    Tan paused at those words and then grinned. As he put Lilyca down, he said,


    ¡°Shall we? Well, I¡¯ll be hiding here, so go ahead.¡± He beckoned with both hands, so Lilyca could understand the situation. She coughed and began to walk proudly, but with a rather stiff gait in the eyes of others.


    The soldier stood in her way again.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I go in there?¡±


    She could tell that her voice was squeaky. The soldier said with a frown,


    ¡°You cannot pass.¡±


    She flinched, but at the thought of Bryn and Tan watching her, she couldn¡¯t back down.


    It took a lot of strength to raise her voice against such a large man with a weapon.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I go?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    If His Majesty had ordered so, wasn¡¯t it be inevitable?


    Lilyca looked at Bryn with shaky eyes, and Bryn¡¯s smile grew even deeper. She opened her mouth,


    ¡°Does His Majesty¡¯s order specifically prevent the Princess from passing through?¡±


    The soldier pounded the floor with his spear immediately.


    ¡°In any case, this cannot be changed!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    A low, eerie voice came from behind the little girl.


    Lilyca looked back in surprise. Bryn remained motionless, looking straight ahead.


    Tan¡¯s usual playful expression had disappeared from his face, and an expressionless look, characteristic of a carnivore, took over. The soldier gasped in surprise.


    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    The pressure was felt even though Tan was approaching slowly. The soldier¡¯s face gradually turned white.


    Tan came right in front of the soldier and took the spear from his hand.


    ¡°Name.¡±


    Tan, who was examining the spear, grabbed it and began to bend it without much difficulty.


    The soldier answered quickly,


    ¡°I¡¯m John Enders, first-class soldier of the 1st regiment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Enders, so what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, accessing the Sun Palace¡¯s indoors depends on the pass level, even for nobles. However, do the royal family need a pass?¡±


    ¡°No, they do not.¡±


    Don¡¯t you recognise the maid here?


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know the basics? That the Imperial Family always has a servant close to them?¡±


    ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    The soldier replied quickly, sweating profusely. Tan twisted with force the spear between them.


    ¡°Then go and get your superior.¡±


    Tan said, returning the bent spear to him.


    The soldier grabbed the now pretzel spear with trembling hands and began to walk.


    It was a walk that made Lilyca wonder what would happen if he fell. Tan looked at the soldier with an air of indifference.


    It was already shocking to him that the soldier dared to block the path of the princess, but he also looked down on her and threatened her by hitting the floor with a spear?


    It was impossible to imagine for someone from the Wolf family, who valued children above all else.


    Tan felt disillusioned.


    Besides, it didn¡¯t matter she was adopted; Lilyca was a legitimate princess.


    A soldier was not supposed to stand in her way.


    ¡®I expected backlash, but not to a little girl in a place like this. And it¡¯s only a first-class soldier.¡¯


    Tan smiled and said to Lilyca,


    ¡°You can go comfortably now, Princess. I will take care of it from here.¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to show her how he was going to handle it.


    Lilyca was secretly worried about what he had just said.


    If it was a fight, wouldn¡¯t it be more reassuring to have more people than to be alone?


    ¡°Will you be okay by yourself? I can stay with you.¡±


    Tan blinked at those words. They were words he hasn¡¯t heard in a long time. The consideration that was put into it was quite enjoyable. Just in case, Lilyca added,


    ¡°Of course, I know that Tan can do well on his own, but still¡­¡±


    Tan wrinkled his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll run to the Princess if she ever feels scared.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go to her.¡±


    Lilyca looked back in surprise. His Majesty was standing from where they came.


    He was with Lat, and the prime minister gave Lilyca a gentle glance.


    ¡°I greet His Majesty.¡±


    Lilyca greeted him quickly first; before Tan and Bryn. After replying, His Majesty sighed,


    ¡°I was going to scold the soldier, but now, I will not even pray for his repose.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? What kind of guts would a single soldier have to do such a thing? Maybe he has a pretty big stomach?¡±


    Alteos looked at Lilyca as he said so, and pressed his hand against her forehead.


    ¡°!!¡±


    She stumbled a bit this time too, but she didn¡¯t fall. Alteos grinned as Lilyca stood triumphantly.


    ¡°You are Takar. It has nothing to do with what kind of person you are, what you have, what you don¡¯t have, or whether you¡¯re worthy or not. I took you in as my daughter. Then everyone should kneel in front of you. Otherwise, it would be disobeying my words.¡±


    Lat asked Tan,


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°1st regiment of the guards, a first-class soldier. John Enders.¡±


    Lat smiled pleasantly at Tan¡¯s answer, ¡°ho ho¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite pleasant to foresee what¡¯s going to happen, Your Majesty. Then, Princess, please enjoy the Sun Palace to your heart¡¯s content. You can leave this to us.¡±


    Lilyca stared at Lat. As expected, the prime minister¡¯s smile didn¡¯t seem to announce anything good.


    ¡°Yes. I understand. Then, I will take my leave.¡±


    Lilyca greeted them and went inside with Bryn. There was no blockage after that.


    When they went to the place where other soldiers had blocked them, Bryn and Lilyca saw a different soldier standing there and he treated Lilyca with a keen attitude.


    ¡®I accept your bow.¡¯


    Passing in front of the soldier, Lilyca spoke softly to Bryn,


    ¡°I guess the news broke out very quickly.¡±


    Bryn chuckled.


    ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s the Princess¡¯ power. No one is insensitive to the affairs of the Imperial Family.¡±


    Bryn added playfully,


    ¡°So, what does power taste like, Princess?¡±


    ¡®The taste of power.¡¯


    Lilyca¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected words. They had lingered in her head the whole time she had looked around the Sun Palace with Bryn.


    ¡®The taste of power.¡¯


    Lilyca stared half-heartedly at the apple pie as she ate her snack. If she hadn¡¯t become a princess, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat this, right?


    ¡®The taste of power.¡¯


    She thought of it as she fell asleep in her soft bed at night. She wouldn¡¯t have slept on this fluffy bed if she wasn¡¯t the princess, right?


    ¡°Is this the taste of power?¡±


    Later in His Majesty¡¯s office, Lilyca spoke her mind to Lat. Lat, who was looking at the documents happily, smiled.


    ¡°Princess, I think it¡¯s more about money than power.¡±


    Lilyca tilted her head. Listening to Lat¡¯s words, it seemed plausible.


    ¡°How much power can be arbitrary?¡±


    As Alteos said so, he threw documents on the floor casually. Lilyca rushed over and picked them up, but Alteos threw other papers from his desk.


    Lilyca ran to them as well. Alteos hurriedly threw more documents, and Lilyca diligently picked them up like a squirrel gathering fallen acorns.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    Lat frowned and called for Alteos, who held his chin and slipped the last document down.


    Before the documents fell on the floor, Lilyca snatched them and said, ¡°hey.¡±


    Then, with a satisfied face, she arranged the papers neatly and placed them on Lat¡¯s desk.


    Lat was impressed by the Princess¡¯ diligence, who picked up the fallen documents and organized them by type.


    ¡°Then I think I have enough power.¡±


    It was the first time she felt as comfortable as she was today. She felt uncomfortable because she didn¡¯t work. So, she was glad to have something to do in the office.


    Lilyca said with a smile and a curtsy,


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be on my way. Bryn said she would introduce the kitchen staff today.¡±


    ¡°I see. Have a good time.¡±


    Lat got up and saw Lilyca off. Closing the office door, he took off his monocle, the symbol of the prime minister, and wiped it lightly with the hem of his clothes.


    ¡°Thanks to you, the soldiers were replaced, and those inside the Sun Palace were completely changed to those in the Knight-Guards. The outside world will still use the soldiers to save face, but they will slowly be absorbed by the Knight-Guards. Furthermore, I heard the Empress recently changed the head maid and her servants as well.¡±


    ¡°Lydia asked if I could change the head maid, so I told her it was the Empress¡¯ responsibility.¡±


    After that, she seized evidence of embezzlement and replaced the head maid and other maids. She had wiped out the nobles¡¯ spies who had entered the inner palace. Lat looked pleased. The newly-selected personnel also seemed appropriate.


    He wondered if she had seen the data he had been investigating.


    Alteos didn¡¯t expect Lydia to make such a bold move. It didn¡¯t seem like an empress¡¯s move without the support of a single family.


    She wasn¡¯t a pawn on a chessboard, she was the one playing chess.


    Going beyond what he had expected, Alteos was admiring her a lot.


    Lat said,


    ¡°When there is a change, fishes under the water jump out. It¡¯s convenient now that I just have to fish.¡±


    The prime minister asked while staring at the emperor,


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it necessary to attach an escort knight?¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t done it yet?¡±


    ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Lat bowed his head. If Tan had heard it, he would have said that it was a conversation between cold-blooded animals, and that they would always stay cold-blooded even if they were shot down. The snake thought to himself and smiled faintly.


    ***


    Lilyca was having fun in the library these days. One of them was the joy of finding difficult words that she had seen in official documents.


    The encyclopedias in the Takar Library were famous for being of the highest quality in the empire. All of them were wrapped in chains, but Lilyca was free to take out the dictionary without any procedures.


    ¡°Waterwheel, waterwheel¡­, ah here! There is the waterwheel.¡±


    Lilyca admired the painting. She was a slum child, and slum life was her whole life.


    She had never even thought about how rural or fishing villages lived.


    Of course, the same went for how aristocrats lived.


    So, it was fun to know that there was a new world and a completely different way of living.


    ¡°Don¡¯t read anymore, Princess. It¡¯s time to go to the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Lilyca jumped from her seat. Bryn shoved the heavy encyclopedia into the back seat.


    Apparently, the palace was so large that food cooled down while being brought by the servants.


    But today, Bryn suggested that they should go eat freshly baked bread from the kitchen.


    Lilyca had no reason to refuse.


    The size of the kitchen, which was built northward to avoid the heat, was enormous.


    The kitchen, large enough to hold a party for the imperial family, seemed quiet despite the considerable number of people.


    Since Alteos became emperor, balls had only been held in the Sky Palace and never in the Sun Palace, so this kitchen has long been preparing meals only for His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince.


    However, when the new Empress came in, a new cook was hired and the kitchen became lively.


    Rumours also circulated that the Empress will soon hold a small party.


    In the midst of this, the Princess, whom the Empress cherishes, appeared.


    No one was bothered. Rather, it was nice to think that a high-ranking person would come down directly.


    If the Emperor or the Empress herself came directly, the reaction would be; ¡°Even though¡­ it¡¯s the kitchen¡­¡±. But if it was a young princess, it was a different story.


    Thanks to this, Lilyca was able to taste fresh white and fluffy bread amid this warm hospitality and kindness.


    Of course, to appeal secretly to the Empress, new cookies and buttercream cakes were also offered in front of the Princess.

 Chapter 8

    Lilyca checked the oranges before the kitchen staff made juice with them. Then, she left the kitchen with a basket of orange juice and refreshments.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see mother. I want to share it with her.¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Bryn carried the basket and nodded.


    Lilyca walked through the hallway with a light footstep and suddenly stopped.


    Looking at the door with a black dragon painted on it, she asked what she had been curious about for a while now.


    ¡°How come I¡¯ve never seen the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°His Highness is touring his fief right now.¡±


    ¡°His fief?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Crown Prince takes his imperial duties very seriously. His Imperial Highness of Rowen is the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, when will he be back?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. I think it¡¯s about time he comes back.¡±


    At Bryn¡¯s words, Lilyca stared at the Black Dragon Room before walking away.


    When she arrived at the Silver Dragon Room, her mother was sitting at her desk reading a letter.


    When Lilyca came in, Lydia quickly got up from her seat.


    ¡°Lily, it smells nice.¡±


    As she hugged the little girl and kissed her on the cheek, Lilyca smiled softly and hugged her mother back.


    ¡°I went to the kitchen with Bryn today. We ate delicious food there and brought refreshments.¡±


    ¡°To the kitchen?¡±


    Lydia paused but was quickly relieved when she realised that she had recently changed the kitchen staff as well.


    Up until now, no one had tried to feed her daughter anything weird.


    ¡°There were so many delicious things to eat.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lydia beckoned the handmaid to receive the basket.


    While Bryn and the handmaid were setting up refreshments, Lydia and Lilyca sat next to each other on the sofa.


    ¡°Did you go to the office again today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but His Majesty kept flinging the papers around.¡±


    Masking herself with a smile, Lydia managed to hide her coldness.


    She didn¡¯t feel comfortable with the emperor pampering her daughter.


    However, it was true that soldiers were replaced not long ago for treating the princess disrespectfully, and that made Lilyca¡¯s position more firmly established.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Lily is having a hard time.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s rather enjoyable.¡±


    Lilyca grabbed her mother¡¯s hand and shook her head. Then, she asked,


    ¡°What kind of letters did you receive?¡±


    ¡°They are replies to my invitations. I¡¯m going to open the salon. That and¡­¡±


    Her mother whispered softly,


    ¡°I¡¯m about to invest the down payment I received.¡±


    ¡°Down payment?¡±


    ¡°I got a down payment when I started this contract.¡±


    Lydia gestured to the maids who had served refreshments to step back.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to leave all the money we¡¯re using now, our jewellery and our clothes after the contract? We should definitely earn money while we¡¯re here.¡±


    She was going to splurge with all the money from the down payment. Her investment options were simply endless.


    Lilyca worried about her mother¡¯s confident words and said,


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t buy anything like a panacea, holy water or a pot of happiness. And beware of scammers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lily. Don¡¯t worry. Because there is no such thing. Mommy will only invest in investments that will yield a 100% profit.¡±


    Lilyca was even more worried when Lydia told her not to worry.


    Where in the world is a 100% safe place to invest?


    Lilyca added,


    ¡°Mother, you have to let me know if you¡¯re going to invest. Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lydia answered and took her daughter¡¯s hand.


    ¡°And I have something to give to my dear Lily.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Bring it.¡±


    When Lydia gave the order, a maid came quickly with a tray. A silver coin was placed on a velvet cushion.


    Lilyca was flabbergasted.


    ¡°My silver coin!¡±


    ¡°It took me a long time to find the same silver coin. He had promised to keep it separately, but that old man¡­¡±


    Lydia frowned a little before smiling again.


    ¡°Is this really your silver coin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, t-this is my silver coin.¡±


    Lilyca, bewitched, picked up the silver coin. She remembered everything, all the stains and scratches.


    It was her silver coin.


    Deep down in her heart, she had given up. She didn¡¯t even think about getting her silver coin back.


    If she received a new silver coin, she wouldn¡¯t need it because it wouldn¡¯t be the same.


    But she hadn¡¯t said a word since it was a foolish thing to say.


    However, the silver coin was back in her hands now.


    Lilyca touched the silver coin several times. It was a silver coin that had soothed her every night.


    Her silver coin.


    Her vision was blurred. These days, her lacrimal glands seemed to be broken.


    But when Lydia hugged her and patted her on the head, the little girl knew it was okay to cry as much as she wanted.


    Lilyca sobbed with joy and relief. She shed tears as the wounds in her heart melted away.


    ¡°Thank you, mother.¡±


    ¡°No. Rather, I am thankful you forgave me and I feel sorry for being such a mother. But I couldn¡¯t find your other coins¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! The important thing is this silver coin!¡±


    Even if her mother brought her other coins, Lilyca wouldn¡¯t be able to tell them apart. Lydia wiped her chest.


    Lilyca held out a small wallet. The wallet, which was opened with a snap, was embroidered with a cute raspberry pattern.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put my coin in it.¡±


    When she opened it, there were already some white coins in it.


    ¡°This is enough.¡±


    Lilyca didn¡¯t really care about the money, because her silver was worth a quite lot and she did not need money at the moment. So, it was more than enough for her.


    She was happy with her cute wallet, and carefully placed the silver coin in it.


    Lydia smiled brightly as she saw Lilyca happy.


    It took a lot of work to find this silver coin but seeing her daughter¡¯s smile made her feel that it was nothing. Lydia will continue to protect this smiling face.


    She won¡¯t be as foolish as she used to be.


    She was glad to know that spending time with her daughter every day was such a pleasure.


    Now Lilyca had gained weight, and her hair was glossy.


    Even her nails were shiny and polished, so it was hard to think that she used to be a child in the slums.


    And she seemed to get along well with Bryn.


    ¡®Bryn Sol was a great maid in my previous life.¡¯


    The Sol family¡¯s loyalty was famously recognised, so she didn¡¯t have to worry as long as she knew in which direction this loyalty was sailing.


    Lilyca held her wallet tightly and pursed her lips for a moment. Lydia asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you short on money?¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not it. Well, mother¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about His Highness the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°What? Did you hear any rumours?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I heard he¡¯s coming back soon. Can we do a welcome party or something?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Her daughter¡¯s shoulders drooped, and Lydia quickly explained the reason.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is very picky about food. He doesn¡¯t touch anything unless it¡¯s brought by his aides. So even if there is a party, it wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t he coming back after a long time? Besides, we started to live here so suddenly you and me. What should we do if we¡¯re misunderstood?¡±


    Come to think of it, she didn¡¯t even see him at the wedding.


    What would you think of a cousin who suddenly appeared in the next room?


    Her heart pounded with anxiety when she remembered the numerous stories about an evil stepmother.


    Maybe he¡¯ll misunderstand and think they¡¯ll treat him badly?


    Watching Lilyca talk about it so earnestly, Lydia thought, ¡®No, Atil isn¡¯t like that.¡¯ But there was no need to break her daughter¡¯s heart.


    After all, the next emperor will be Atil, so Lydia thought she should get along well with him.


    Since his childhood, assassination attempts have been so frequent that Atil had now a hard time trusting other human beings.


    An escort knight who had served him for a long time even attempted to assassinate him, making him fall deeper into complete distrust.


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: She¡¯s talking about her past life.]


    ¡®I¡¯m planning to prevent that incident and keep a reasonable distance.¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s think about something other than a welcome party. We could just let them know they are welcome?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s face brightened at Lydia¡¯s words. Then, she said with her hands folded,


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to bring flowers and delicious food to his room?¡±


    Lydia nodded.


    ¡°And when he¡¯ll no longer be tired, we can have a small tea party and drink tea together.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lydia had various thoughts come to her mind, but upon seeing her daughter¡¯s twinkling eyes, her desire to oppose her disappeared. She asked seriously,


    ¡°Lily, do you really want to get along with the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°I want to get along well, but I don¡¯t know what His Highness¡¯s feelings are. But yes, it is my wish to get along well with him.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, all right. Mommy will also actively help you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Lilyca smiled brightly and hugged her mother. Lydia thought she¡¯d send her daughter a bunch of tea party supplies.


    ***


    Lilyca¡¯s plan was of course passed on to Prime Minister Lat and His Majesty.


    Lat smiled and said, ¡°Can I send you a gift?¡±


    Lilyca gracefully allowed it. After a month of hard work, etiquette started to become embedded in her body.


    Soon after, Lilyca screamed joyfully at the gift boxes that the maids were bringing in.


    The large and beautiful boxes were bound with smooth silk ribbons, which Bryn said she would take back and put to good use.


    Every time the little girl opened one of the pastel light boxes, cheers erupted spontaneously.


    Beautiful glass bowls that looked transparent, and teacups with delicate gold decorations. It was the perfect size for a child like Lilyca.


    It was too luxurious to be used to playing house.


    The plates, painted in pink and blue colours, and the cute silverware fitted her hand perfectly. The embroidered tablecloth, as well as the porcelain teapot, had cute animals drawn on them.


    Squirrels, rabbits, bear cubs, and weasels were all so cutely drawn, that she didn¡¯t get tired of looking at them. When she opened the silver box inlaid with gold, she found that there were sugar cubes in similar shapes.


    They were so beautiful that her eyes were spinning.


    Such things were laid in numerous boxes, neatly aligned in rows by type.


    There were ten kinds of tea leaves sent from the Sandar family, and Bryn explained that each one was very precious.


    ¡°Tea is a speciality of the Sandar estate. Because the Sandar estate is in the south, the people of this territory are very sensitive to the cold.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lilyca nodded while she learned those new facts.


    Then, the little girl started to throw the paper away several times, because she was sending out invitations over and over again.


    She still couldn¡¯t write fluently, and she couldn¡¯t handle the pen tip well, so she had a lot of trouble smearing ink. Despite everything, she chose nothing but the best.


    She was heartbroken that expensive paper was wasted, but she couldn¡¯t help it.


    The seal was shaped like a dragon, and the white powder sprayed on it indicated that it was sent from the White Dragon Room.


    It was a white powder, but strangely, it shimmered like snow.


    When Lilyca asked, Bryn replied, ¡°It¡¯s processed snow jewels.¡±


    Lilyca gasped at those words. Snow jewels were jewels that fell together with the snow, and were shaped like snow crystals, but did not melt.


    ¡°I really wanted to pick some up, but I was never able to.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it this winter.¡±


    Lilyca nodded.


    At the same time, preparations began in earnest.


    His Majesty had given his permission to open the Black Dragon Room, but Lilyca was troubled.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he hate it if he found out that we went inside his room?¡±


    Bryn made a funny face at Lilyca¡¯s question.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t even thought of that since it¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    In the Imperial Palace, servants and maids frequently come and go in all rooms to handle chores. So, it¡¯s impossible to live without anyone coming into his room.


    ¡°If that really bothers you, you can just decorate the living room.¡±


    Lilyca nodded at her words. The structure of the White Dragon Room and Black Dragon Room was almost the same.


    When you first open the door, there was a large entrance and drawing room, and you have to open the door one more time to enter the living room. The living room was connected to both sides of the drawing room, and the rooms were connected again next to it.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s decorate only the living room.¡±


    Lilyca decided on this.


    When she asked when the Crown Prince would return, Bryn shook her head.


    ¡°His Highness and his aides keep their trips secret without telling when they¡¯ll return. So, I don¡¯t know when he¡¯ll be back. But shall we find out through Bran?¡±


    ¡°Bran?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my older brother. He¡¯s now serving the Crown Prince.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, can you ask him what he likes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Bryn nodded.


    According to the news from Bran, the Crown Prince was expected to arrive within a week so Lilyca quickly became busy.


    The old air was ventilated, the sheets were replaced with new ones, and the walls were decorated with ribbons and coloured paper rings.


    Because of the beautiful flowers she had asked from the gardener, the atmosphere of the Black Dragon Room, which was previously bleak, became very lovely.


    In addition, according to Bran, the Crown Prince said that he liked sweets. Lilyca felt a sense of kinship and chose a type of tea that was sweet.


    Her mother advised her, ¡°you have to choose tea according to the colour and type of food.¡± So, Lilyca and Bryn put teacups and bowls of each type on the table and looked for combinations.


    The chef also made new sweets every day. The confectionery chef was hired by her mother and said that he¡¯ll make new snacks interesting.


    Since it was already May, the weather warmed up, causing the garden to become quite lively. Lilyca asked if she could place a table in the garden and move the tea party¡¯s location.


    Bryn said it was a good idea, and her mother said it was okay, so Lilyca rewrote the invitation to fix the tea party venue and put it on the table.


    In case he couldn¡¯t see it, she made a doll holding the invitation on the table.


    Everything was ready.


    Lilyca looked out of the window from time to time and wondered when the Crown Prince would come.


    ¡®I hope he likes it.¡¯

 Chapter 9

    At dawn, the Crown Prince¡¯s party struck the palace like a thunderbolt. Atil, who harshly opened the Black Dragon Room¡¯s door, froze.


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡±


    Said a boy of a similar age with light beige hair standing behind him.


    ¡°Wow, is this your taste? So cute.¡±


    ¡°Pai, shut up.¡±


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: His name is ¡°??¡± which sounds like ¡°Pa¡±+ ¡°e¡±]


    Atil, who pushed him roughly, opened the waiting room door and stopped immediately. The living room wasn¡¯t dark.


    Candles were lit here and there, thanks to Lilyca¡¯s insistence that lights should be lit at night, and the fireplace was blazing, driving away the early morning chill.


    The decorations on the walls glistened, reflecting the light of the fireplace.


    Welcome back.


    Atil looked at the letters from the coloured paper, cut and pasted.


    ¡°It smells good too. They brought a lot of flowers. Since we¡¯re coming down from the north, I didn¡¯t even know it was spring.¡±


    The beige-haired boy, Pai, who had followed him in, burst into admiration.


    ¡°Who did this?¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is really cute.¡±


    Pai lifted a teddy bear, clad in a butler uniform, from the living room¡¯s table and waved its arms.


    ¡°Welcome back, Your Highness. Judging from this letter, it seems that this is from your new cousin.¡±


    ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Atil snatched the invitation from his hand. After reading it, he smiled coldly.


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re going.¡±


    Pai looked up expectantly. Bran, who followed, looked around.


    ¡°This is the first time we have been so welcomed. Would you like me to prepare a meal? Or would you like to wash up first?¡±


    ¡°Both are done.¡±


    Atil waved his hand.


    ¡°Will you accept the invitation?¡±


    Pai asked again.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Atil answered, throwing the invitation to Pai.


    ¡°Say you¡¯re going. Play house alone as much as you want. Standing in the scorching sun for three or four hours will make you feel better.¡±


    ¡°Wow, the villain.¡±


    Pai frowned. He didn¡¯t even know what kind of person the girl was, but right now, as an aid, it was very tempting for him to act like the prince¡¯s enemy.


    He knew why the Crown prince was so edgy, but still.


    Before Pai could say anything, Atil waved his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now. Don¡¯t touch me until I wake up.¡±


    As the prince went inside, Pai looked at the invitation and said, ¡°what the heck.¡± Then, he sighed.


    Bran tilted his head.


    ¡°You must be hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. To the point of my belly skin sticking to me. But Bran, rather than that.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Pai grinned and turned to Bran. Pai, a direct descendant of the Sandar Family, was a close friend and aide to Atil.


    He asked, pointing his finger at the decorations and welcome letters.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡±


    ¡°I told her that he might arrive around this time. That as food, he likes sweets. But that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Pai picked up a cookie from the table. The crunchy and crumbly taste in the mouth was wonderful.


    It felt like the tiredness of riding a horse for a long time melted into the sweet.


    ¡®It didn¡¯t get soggy, it¡¯s a well-made snack.¡¯


    Even Bran didn¡¯t know the exact date of their arrival. It was up to Atil.


    Nevertheless, the flowers were vivid and the snacks crispy.


    The teapot was still warm when he slightly touched it.


    They must have been changing the flowers, snacks, and tea from time to time. They had been very attentive.


    ¡®I wonder what that princess is thinking. No, it would be better to think this was the empress¡¯s doing, and not the princess¡¯. I¡¯ll need to collect some rumours, too. I left the Imperial Palace empty for too long.¡¯


    Because of that, he was not able to partake in an unprecedented event called His Majesty¡¯s Wedding.


    Pai tasted all the sweets on the plate one by one.


    There was nothing poisonous, nothing strange in taste.


    He looked at the teddy bear and placed the invitation on the doll¡¯s leg.


    ¡®I¡¯m sleepy too.¡¯


    He drove the horses all night long until dawn.


    It¡¯s not that he wasn¡¯t aware of Atil¡¯s paranoid anxiety, but he had hoped he would bear with it and not overwork his aides.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as strong as a wolf.¡±


    Pai grumbled before heading to his room.


    ***


    Lilyca woke up at dawn. She scrambled out of bed.


    ¡®Um. Has His Highness arrived? Is the tea still cold? Should I change the snacks?¡¯


    These days, she was paying attention to the Crown Prince¡¯s room, so the first thing that comes to her mind in the morning was worrying about the snacks.


    Lilyca got out of bed and put on a dressing gown.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just go and check if the snacks or tea are cold.¡¯


    She had the maids do it, but it was necessary to confirm for herself as well.


    If the master didn¡¯t care, the subordinates won¡¯t either.


    Lilyca put on her slippers and paused for a moment before opening the secret door. She didn¡¯t want to wake Bryn for nothing.


    Coming out through the hallways used by the servants, Lilyca also went inside the Black Dragon Room using the servants¡¯ door.


    ¡°!!¡±


    When she opened the door slightly and entered the living room, Lilyca froze.


    Because someone was sitting at the living room¡¯s table, eagerly eating snacks and tea.


    They met each other¡¯s eyes.


    Lilyca immediately recognised who the other person was.


    Because she had asked Bryn several times what the Crown Prince was like.


    She couldn¡¯t believe she ran into His Highness dressed like that.


    ¡®No!¡¯


    Screaming inwardly, Lilyca lowered her head. She had to figure out an excuse somehow.


    Lilyca said softly,


    ¡°I came here to see if His Highness needed more tea or sweets.¡±


    She was a maid. She was a maid.


    Please.


    She hoped he didn¡¯t notice.


    Contrary to Lilyca¡¯s desperate wish, Atil also recognised who she was at once.


    If it weren¡¯t for the imperial princess who walked around the palace in that outfit, he could have vomited all the snacks he had so far.


    Looking down at the bowed brown-haired head, Atil blocked the curses that were about to come out.


    ¡®Why is she coming out of there?¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t believe he showed her he was eating in a hurry the snacks she had prepared. He was hungry because he had travelled all night, and was only drawn to the thought that there was something to eat in the living room.


    The sweets he ate were great, and the tea was lukewarm, but not bad.


    After eating one, it was easy to eat the next cookie.


    Atil felt even worse because it seemed like he had been caught eating the table the enemy had prepared for him.


    ¡®Was she here to sneak a peek?¡¯


    He jumped up from his seat with a plate of cookies and walked over to Lilyca.


    It was with the intention to pour snacks into her head and say something.


    Standing in front of her, he lifted the plate of cookies but stopped moving.


    Only then did he notice that Lilyca was trembling and her ears were dyed bright red.


    And that she was much smaller than him.


    He bit his lip.


    ¡°Ha, really.¡±


    Something that he didn¡¯t know whether it was a laugh or a sigh flowed out of his mouth.


    Seeing her flinch even at that small reaction made him less inclined to bully her. More than that, he wanted to see her face.


    How red could her face be when her ears were ever so scarlet?


    He also wondered why she came out of the servants¡¯ hallway and was wearing a dressing gown.


    He held out the plate to her.


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Oh no. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    His voice crept in.


    ¡°Eat.¡±


    He could see her fumbling and picking up a cookie before putting it in her mouth. But he still couldn¡¯t see her face.


    All he could see was her munching cheeks.


    ¡°Wow, His Highness the Crown Prince is tormenting a little girl.¡±


    Surprised, Lilyca turned her head, and there was a boy with soft beige hair standing there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother me.¡±


    Atil said sharply. Pai came over with a soft smile and held out a piece of paper.


    ¡°Now, this is a reply to the invitation sent by the princess. His Highness the Crown Prince said he will attend.¡±


    Leaping forward, Lilyca received the reply. She lifted her head and looked at him, then lowered her head back in surprise.


    Pai chuckled and looked at Atil. Just for an instant, Atil saw Lilyca¡¯s face, and the desire to be angry with her disappeared. It was a sparkling face, full of joy.


    He sighed and said,


    ¡°Go now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes!¡±


    Lilyca hurried back into the secret hallway and closed the door.


    Pai suppressed his laughter, and Atil said sarcastically,


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she¡¯s a cute maid?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think I¡¯ve been deceived.¡±


    ¡°I do not know more daring than that. Infiltrating through the passageway for the servants alone and without an attendant.¡±


    ¡°If that was an infiltration, it would mean that I have lived my entire life without even knowing what a life-threatening situation is.¡±


    Atil, who answered sarcastically, looked back at Pai.


    ¡°Reply?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I a diligent aide to His Highness? I carefully wrote a reply. Ah, the princess is very cute, so I hope she is not our enemy.¡±


    The Imperial Empress¡¯ daughter.


    At Pai¡¯s words, Atil held out a plate of cookies to him and said,


    ¡°She¡¯s not cute at all.¡±


    ***


    ¡®I-I was really surprised.¡¯


    Lilyca pressed tightly her hand on her pounding chest. Did she get caught?


    ¡®What should I do? If he thought I was a poor maid, he might not have noticed.¡¯


    She had raised her head just for a second, so she might not have been caught.


    Then, someone tapped Lilyca¡¯s shoulder and she jumped. She was about to scream, but His Highness was still inside.


    When she turned around, a tall man was standing. Even in the dark, Lilyca could see he was wearing a shiny brooch.


    ¡°Bry-¡±


    The man put a finger on his lips, smiled softly, and pointed the way out. Lilyca covered her mouth with both hands and nodded.


    As she was used to walking through this hallway, Lilyca relaxed and sighed heavily. Then, the man who had come out asked,


    ¡°Princess Lilyca, what are you doing here?¡±


    The fact he realised that she was the princess made her lose strength and drop her shoulders. However, she soon perked up.


    If he was Bryn¡¯s older brother, it was natural for him to recognise her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had already arrived. I just went to see if the sweets and tea were not soggy or cold¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Bryn?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake her up because I was only going to check for a moment¡­¡±


    Lilyca sighed again upon looking at his expression.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you shouldn¡¯t have. Bryn will be worried.¡±


    ¡°Did the Crown Prince recognise me? I hope he thought I was just a weird maid¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Bran looked as if he was wondering what to say. His face was so similar to Bryn¡¯s that Lilyca felt close to him.


    ¡°His Highness may not know. I will talk to him after escorting you back.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thank you!¡±


    Lilyca smiled broadly and waved her hand in reply.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back now. I¡¯ll see you another time.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bran smiled brightly and saw her off. As Bryn said, she was a rare type of princess in the Imperial Palace.


    ¡®If the empress has no intention of using her.¡¯


    In the Imperial Palace, children should be vigilant. Behind every noble child, there¡¯s a family.


    It was more convenient to use them because no child had innate malice.


    Parents could tell their young sons and daughters, ¡°let¡¯s play hide and seek here.¡± Or, ¡°deliver this cookie to His Highness.¡± They could also say ¡°there¡¯s a place to explore in the forest, why don¡¯t you go explore with His Highness?¡± That¡¯s all they had to say.


    It is enough to fall into such a trap once.


    Before entering the room at the end of the corridor, Bran greeted the princess, who looked his way and pleasantly waved her hand.


    ***


    Lilyca was nagged by Bryn.


    ¡°Even if you have a secret meeting, you have to take your maid with you.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s not a secret meeting, is it?¡±


    Lilyca, who had become accustomed to difficult words thanks to the dictionary, asked back. Bryn shook her head.


    ¡°The princess must be accompanied by a maid even if she has a secret meeting. That¡¯s how important a maid is.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Lilyca nodded. Being a princess was more difficult than she thought.


    Actually, there was something she wanted to brag about to Bryn. So, Lilyca added,


    ¡°The Crown Prince is coming to the tea party.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness. Good for you, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And he was eating a lot of snacks. My mother said that he only ate sweets brought by his aids. It seems he likes sweets very much.¡±


    Bryn asked and imagined how the teenage boy had reacted when he was caught eating snacks that he said he didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°Are you okay? You didn¡¯t get in trouble?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think he thought I was a maid. Well, maybe.¡±


    She added the last word quietly because she was not confidently.


    ¡°But Bran said he would talk to him.¡±


    ¡°You met Bran?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he looked like you, Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Bryn is more beautiful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Bryn smiled softly. Although it was true that she resembled her brother, it was not a compliment.


    ¡°Then we should prepare for the tea party.¡±


    Lilyca pondered those words over and over again.


    Tea party.


    Tea party.


    The word had a sweet and enchanting ring to it.


    It was the first time she hosted one herself. Tension rose to her throat, but Bryn stood by and encouraged her.


    She had practised several times so far, so it will work out well. It was an exercise to seat with a rabbit doll and bear doll, greet them gracefully, and offer tea to them.


    It was also the most enjoyable house play in the world.


    His Majesty told her to use the ice in the underground ice storage, so she even got a large chunk of ice.


    Lilyca was shocked to find out that there was ice in this kind of weather, but she tried to show a calm face like a princess.


    Noble princesses wouldn¡¯t be surprised by ice.


    Late May.


    The garden was colourful with light green shoots and dark leaves.


    Early blooming roses were bursting with their burgeons, adding colour to them.


    The tufts on the large parasol glistened and swayed in the sunlight. Branches from the trees were bent and tied tightly with ribbons to cast shade.


    The wind blew moderately, and the spring breeze was gentle.


    Sunlight splattered through the branches and scattered on the ground like gold ornaments.


    It was the perfect weather and setting, just like plucked from an illustration.


    After all the preparations were completed, Lilyca waited for the Crown Prince. Time went by slowly.


    When there was even a rustling sound, Lilyca pricked up her ears and turned her gaze to it.


    It was quite late and Atil still did not appear. The faces of the waiting servants began to harden.

 Chapter 10

    Lilyca whispered to Bryn.


    ¡°Is he late because of work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to send a servant to find out.¡±


    Bryn beckoned as she said that, and the servant, standing at the end of the gazebo, quickly departed.


    The servant who had returned after a while said with a grim expression,


    ¡°He told me to tell you that he was still in the Black Dragon Room and that he would be late.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    To Bryn¡¯s question, the servant answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Bryn looked at Lilyca, and the little girl replied,


    ¡°There are no other options if he¡¯s late, I will wait.¡±


    Lilyca waited a long time. It was hard for her to stand still, and it became harder and harder since she was a child.


    She stood, shifting her centre of gravity from side to side.


    Even when she sent the messenger again, the only response that came back was, ¡°I¡¯m late.¡±


    Then, after two hours, the servant came back with a new answer and his head bowed.


    ¡°He told me to tell you that he can¡¯t be with you today because he¡¯s too busy.¡±


    Bryn¡¯s dark purple eyes shone coldly. She quickly examined her master¡¯s expression.


    Lilyca looked surprised.


    Bryn had to say something, but Lilyca spoke first.


    ¡°Is he that busy?¡±


    Startled, the servant looked up and then bowed again.


    ¡°Yes? Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can you tell him not to be too sorry? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s worried about making me wait. Tell him I¡¯m fine and not to worry about it.¡±


    Bryn held back a laugh. The servant nodded earnestly at Lilyca¡¯s words.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Oh right. Can I send her with the newly made tea? Bryn, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, bring me a basket. I¡¯m sure he would be regretful if he couldn¡¯t taste the cookies made by the chef.¡±


    After a while, the servant left with the basket and Bryn was happy to see that.


    Lilyca sighed and said,


    ¡°If someone is too busy, they can break their promise. However, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll feel apologetic for that.¡±


    Bryn nodded joyfully at the good-natured innocence of her remark. Her master thought that anyone who broke their promise would feel guilty.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that you don¡¯t have to be sorry. You¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    He had done something so shameful; wouldn¡¯t he be disrespectful if he didn¡¯t apologise? It¡¯s a matter of making things right, but contrary to him, the princess had the virtue of speaking from the bottom of her heart without malice.


    Bryn was truly pleased, and Lilyca said,


    ¡°Then shall we drink tea together? It would be a waste to clean up everything now.¡±


    ¡°I would be grateful.¡±


    Bryn curtsied gracefully. Two hours had passed and now, the sun was setting.


    The two were sitting down, watching the sunset and lanterns lit the garden peacefully.


    Servants had prepared cold desserts, so they only had to bring back hot water from time to time.


    She didn¡¯t know if the Crown Prince would come, so she constantly asked for hot water from the kitchen, therefore, water always arrived right away.


    Lilyca brewed the tea herself, her little hands moving skillfully.


    It was because she had practised countless times for today with Bryn.


    She moved on the step stool, brewed the tea, filled her cup first, and then, filled Bryn¡¯s.


    Lilyca raised her hand lightly, clenched her fist, and then opened it.


    The servants quickly went far away so as to not hear their conversation. Lilyca looked at her hand in wonder.


    ¡°It really works.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Light hand signals work anytime, anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You said that if I clenched my fist, on the other hand, it meant that they could come closer?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Bryn answered slowly, touching the rim of her teacup.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to be careful of hand signals when there are soldiers. They might mistake it for an attack signal.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has happened several times in history.¡±


    At Bryn¡¯s words, Lilyca nodded.


    ¡®Even high-ranking people are struggling in their own way.¡¯


    Bryn asked anxiously,


    ¡°Princess, are you truly okay? Aren¡¯t you upset?¡±


    ¡°Um, it¡¯s all right.¡±


    Lilyca smiled. Then, she whispered softly,


    ¡°Yes, I feel sorry for you for helping me, but in a corner of my mind, I thought this might happen.¡±


    Bryn blinked. It didn¡¯t seem like the innocent princess in front of her was accustomed to hiding her intentions and scheming.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    So, of course, the question was asked. Lilyca raised her eyebrows and spoke with her signature serious expression.


    ¡°When I go to His Majesty¡¯s office, he is always busy with work. Then, when I ask Sir Lat he says, ¡°I cannot go because I¡¯m busy today.¡± Even though he had promised. That¡¯s what happens all the time.¡±


    Surely, Lat had to grab his head later and push a sigh.


    There were times when the little girl had said, ¡°You should go out even if you¡¯re busy.¡±


    They had answered, ¡°Um, yes.¡±


    His Majesty¡¯s promise-breaking patting was famous.


    ¡°The Crown Prince is just below His Majesty, right? Isn¡¯t he very busy then? So, I was prepared that he might not be able to come even if we made an appointment.¡±


    ¡°You understand the situation of those who work,¡± Bryn replied with a big smile, patting her back. ¡°After all, you are a princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh well¡­¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s cheeks, not accustomed to compliments, turned red.


    But on the inside, she praised herself for her quick wit. She then quickly told Bryn again that she hadn¡¯t been offended.


    ¡°But thanks to that, I was able to enjoy drinking tea with Bryn like this, right? If I had drank with His Highness, I¡¯m sure I wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed it all.¡±


    She would have been too nervous and wouldn¡¯t have been able to even recognise what the tea tasted like, Lilyca added, shaking her head.


    Bryn nodded.


    ¡°If the Princess is okay with a maid.¡±


    Lilyca and Bryn had tea until twilight. The sky was dyed like their red tea.


    As the light of the lamp seemed to be getting brighter and brighter, the sound of footsteps was heard.


    A large figure suddenly popped up from the bushes.


    ¡°Tan!¡±


    Lilyca jumped out from her seat to welcome him. Bryn also got up quickly and followed suit before curtseying.


    ¡°I was looking forward to seeing you, Tan.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I heard your voice in the garden, so I was wondering what you were doing.¡±


    Tan grinned.


    ¡°You were having tea with your personal maid. It¡¯s rare to have a tea party at this hour.¡±


    ¡°Because the sunset is pretty. Why don¡¯t we drink tea together? There are enough snacks and tea.¡±


    ¡°If you invite me, I will join you without hesitation.¡±


    Bryn quickly cleared her seat and brought out a new teacup.


    Perfectly back in the maid¡¯s position, Bryn began to attend to them.


    Tan commented that the tea was very good, and Lilyca replied modestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s the tea leaves that Lat gave me as a present. I heard that Sandar¡¯s tea leaves are a speciality.¡±


    ¡°No wonder. I¡¯d like to give you the specialities of Wolf¡¯s estate, but it¡¯s still too much for the princess.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the speciality?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s distilled liquor.¡±


    With a grin, Tan explained. Lilyca replied as she shared Tan¡¯s smile, ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°The snacks are new, too.¡±


    ¡°My mother brought in a new cook.¡±


    ¡°They are delicious.¡±


    Tan shoved some cookies into his mouth.


    The cookies were very small for him, so it was unlikely that he would be satisfied with just one or two.


    Lilyca ordered more refreshments. Refreshments brought quickly by the servants piled up one after another.


    Tan opened his eyes wide after tasting the whipped cream.


    ¡°This is wonderful.¡±


    ¡°My mother told the cook to make it, it¡¯s called whipped cream. She said to use it instead of buttercream.¡±


    The whipped cream on top of the heavy pound cake was lighter and fresher than the buttercream.


    In the north, milk and butter were difficult to obtain, so this rich sweetness was a pleasure to taste only in the capital.


    It¡¯s not that the people of the Wolf family are weak to sweets or something.


    Even though, they ate sugar cubes in their distilled liquor.


    ¡°It¡¯s good. It¡¯s hard to get cream in our estate because of the cold.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the cream better when it¡¯s cold?¡±


    Tan smiled at Lilyca¡¯s question and replied, ¡°When it¡¯s cold, milk doesn¡¯t come out well.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Having learned a new piece of knowledge, Lilyca stored it in her head.


    As they talked, the garden darkened. So, Tan asked to escort Lilyca back.


    Lilyca looked at Tan and asked,


    ¡°Can I take a look around the garden for a second?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then, Bryn will be the only one to accompany us. When there¡¯s a lot of people, we cannot walk in silence.¡±


    Bryn grinned at Lilyca¡¯s words and replied, ¡°Very well.¡±


    Tan started walking with a glass lantern, and Lilyca stood alongside him. Bryn followed a step behind them.


    At night, the garden was quiet and the air was drenched with the roses¡¯ scent.


    When she inhaled deeply, the little girl felt the scent of flowers permeate deep into her body. The silence could have been scary, but it wasn¡¯t since Tan was next to her.


    It was fun just to walk quietly, but Lilyca opened her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you for coming today.¡±


    Tan laughed softly. Knowing his origins, it really seemed like a wolf laugh to her.


    ¡°I also ate something delicious thanks to you. Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    Lilyca smiled and he continued,


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You should have had a special guest today, didn¡¯t you? I was wondering if you were upset.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Only then did Lilyca realise that Tan did not come by accident.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t offended. And about His Highness the Crown Prince, I think he¡¯s a kind person.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When asked by the astonished Tan, Lilyca grinned,


    ¡°He has been trying to come and see me. He had tried to finish his work somehow that¡¯s why he kept saying, ¡°it¡¯ll be over in a little while.¡±


    But then, obviously, time had passed.


    That¡¯s why he told her that he wouldn¡¯t be able to come anymore.


    She thought it was sweet that he said multiple times, ¡°a little more and it¡¯ll be over.¡± Just to see her somehow.


    Tan seemed to be wondering what to say because of Lilyca¡¯s unconventional logic.


    Lilyca continued, not caring much about how it looked on the outside,


    ¡°You came here because you didn¡¯t want my feelings to get hurt, right? Thank you, Tan. I¡¯m sure I would have been hurt if I were alone. Sad even. However, it wasn¡¯t the case since I had Bryn and Tan.¡±


    Tan stopped and looked at Lilyca.


    Her face was smiling with a serious expression like an adult, but her eyes contained a resolve that prevented her smile to reach her eyes.


    A belief that no one did really hurt her and never will.


    It was confidence and faith that couldn¡¯t be dismissed just because she was a child.


    If someone is not wicked enough to knock over a kitten that¡¯s leaning on them, or kick a puppy that happily approaches, they might as well break as a human being.


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: like if they aren¡¯t tough enough, life will break them.]


    It was the kind of look he didn¡¯t like to see.


    So, Tan was impressed.


    Lilyca did not lead a smooth life.


    Through the report, Alteos, Lat, and himself knew what kind of life she had.


    And yet, even when she was hurt and desperate for affection, she didn¡¯t become a slave to these feelings nor did she sharpen her sword.


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: Lilyca didn¡¯t become mean, even when her emotional needs weren¡¯t met.]


    It was a difficult thing to do, even for adults.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. As I said before, I ate something delicious thanks to you. Besides, I missed the rest of my work.¡±


    Tan laughed out loud.


    ¡°I won against Lat at the rock paper scissors game.¡±


    ¡°Really? Against Lat?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were wondering which of the two of us should go, and we decided with rock paper scissors.¡±


    Lilyca said, ¡°it was okay for both of you to come.¡± Tan nodded in regret,


    ¡°But then, who will do the work?¡±


    ¡°If I had known, I would have sent a basket to Lat as well.¡±


    ¡°A basket?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I actually sent one to the Crown Prince. Since he was busy, I asked him to eat what was inside while working.¡±


    At that, Tan¡¯s shoulders shook again and he burst into laughter.


    Giving food is usually a top-down job.


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: Someone does not order their superior to eat, it would rather be the hierarchically superior person who would give the order. I guess that by doing this, Lilyca sorta subtly insulted the crown prince.]


    Of course, his younger cousin¡¯s freshly made sweets were delicious, so, it didn¡¯t matter how many she sent.


    At least that¡¯s what Tan hoped the Crown Prince would think.


    Tan chuckled, wondering if it would be taken that way.


    Maybe next time, he would need to talk to His Highness.


    This innocent princess didn¡¯t seem to be just naive.


    She was considerate and affectionate, and she had the will to protect herself.


    ¡®This is getting interesting.¡¯


    When Alteos had said, ¡°I¡¯m getting married.¡± Tan was concerned in many ways, but now that he looked at it, he didn¡¯t think he had to worry at all.


    After going around the garden, Lilyca sighed and spoke softly in front of her residence.


    Quiet enough that he had to bend his big body.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m anxious about.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that my mother will be upset.¡±


    She had helped prepare the Crown Prince¡¯s invitation and the tea party. Lilyca thought she will be very upset to hear that her daughter waited for two hours and that the Crown Prince unilaterally broke his promise.


    She¡¯ll be very upset when she will hear the news that her daughter had been abandoned.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, but¡­¡±


    Tan nodded at Lilyca¡¯s words.


    ¡°If the Princess says it¡¯s okay, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s expression brightened at Tan¡¯s reassuring promise.


    ¡°Thank you, Tan.¡±


    Saying goodbye again, Lilyca entered the room. Bryn smiled brightly and greeted Tan before closing the door.


    Tan sighed and said in front of this door.


    ¡°I really hope the Empress will be fine with it.

 Chapter 11

    As Lilyca had expected, her mother was very upset, but she calmed down when Lilyca assured her several times that she was okay. Then, Lydia whispered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily. I¡¯m sure Atil will regret what he has done today.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Surprised, Lilyca looked at her mother. What did she mean by regret?


    Lilyca didn¡¯t want that at all, but talking like this should be fine if it made her feel better.


    She never thought that her mother had the power to make a prince regret anything. Lilyca nodded her head to cheer up her mother.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Lydia smiled and hugged her daughter tightly at her words, then let her go.


    ¡°Lily, I ordered a new present to make you feel better.¡±


    Seeing the long gift box, Lilyca widened her eyes. She had no idea what was inside.


    When she opened the gift box, there was a parasol inside.


    It was a small parasol made of lace and jewels.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty.¡±


    Lilyca was amazed. Bryn, next to the little girl, exclaimed.


    ¡°Is this the Elzerk Lace?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. A real Elzerk Lace.¡±


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: Lace Making is the looping and braiding of thread such as cotton, linen, or silk to create fabrics with patterns of holes. The development of lace making is based on the mastery of other textile handicrafts, primarily weaving and embroidery.]


    Lilyca tilted her head at Lydia¡¯s words with a smile.


    ¡°Elzerk Lace?¡±


    Bryn quickly explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s lace from the Elzerk region. It is very delicate, so it takes a long time to weave, and the price is very high, but it is famous for its beauty.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The handle was in gold and the parasol in ivory. It was almost as if a fortress could be bought with just this parasol.


    Although most of the parasols were large and thus, carried by an attendant, Lydia coupled the bustle dress with a parasol, making the ensemble more attractive and fashionable than the crinoline.


    She also ordered a small children¡¯s parasol for Lilyca.


    People may say it¡¯s too extravagant for children to use, but Lydia didn¡¯t even listen.


    It was most important for her to do something for her daughter.


    Lilyca asked, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Can I go for a walk now?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Lilyca picked up the parasol with a broad smile.


    ¡°?¡±


    The parasol was much heavier than expected. It was all the more so because she was thinner than her peers.


    But she didn¡¯t want to disappoint her mother, so Lilyca pretended to be fine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hurry up and go right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Lydia nodded with a satisfied smile. Lilyca grabbed the parasol with both hands and went outside.


    When she unfolded the parasol, the hanging crystal decorations bounced the sunlight into iridescent shards.


    ¡°Oh my gosh.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Lilyca put the parasol on her shoulder. It was a little lighter that way.


    As she leisurely strolled through the sunny garden, Lilyca turned her parasol in a circle. Pieces of light were scattered all over the place.


    The new pair of young goatskin shoes made a light hoof sound, and Lilyca¡¯s heart became lighter with each step.


    If only the spring wind hadn¡¯t blown. As the parasol was swept away by the wind, Lilyca felt her body jerked away.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Shouted Bryn, surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡±


    Lilyca shouted, but the strong spring wind blew her parasol away in an instant.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Thinking that the parasol would fly away, Lilyca couldn¡¯t think things through and she started running after the parasol.


    She gave up the idea of running along the garden¡¯s path. Skipping through the grass and small streams, Lilyca ran.


    ¡°Princess! Do not run!¡±


    Bryn shouted from behind, but Lilyca¡¯s eyes were fixed on the parasol.


    Fortunately, the wind stopped and the parasol seemed to fall to the ground, so Lilyca speeded up one last time.


    ¡°Whoa!¡±


    Right in front of the parasol, she tumbled over.


    ¡°Haha, did you run after the parasol and fall?¡±


    At the sound of laughter, she finally realised that she had stumbled upon someone. She scrambled to her feet, pressing the hem of her skirt.


    ¡°I¡¯m really so¡­rry.¡±


    The reason her words slowed down by one beat was that the person in front of her looked too fancy.


    In Lilyca¡¯s heart, the most beautiful person was always her mother, and this person quickly became second.


    She had never seen anyone like this other than her mother.


    His silver hair shone as if it had been wrought by the moonlight, and his features were coolly glamorous.


    It was a beauty like a silver blade refined to the extreme.


    Now, was he twelve? Thirteen?


    The boy grinned.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What? Yes. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Only then did Lilyca come to her senses and quickly apologised. The boy laughed again. He picked up the parasol that had fallen and spun it around.


    Sunlight shone on his silver hair, colouring it with the crystals¡¯ sparkle, and Lilyca stared blankly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too heavy for her to lift? A lighter one would be better.¡±


    His gaze was on the parasol, and then back on Lilyca.


    ¡°Right. She is a really popular princess these days. I¡¯m sure she must be the only one carrying a parasol like this.¡±


    He talked strangely as if he were saying things about someone else, whereas she was just in front of him.


    ¡°I thought she was an extravagant villain. I didn¡¯t expect that.¡±


    Lilyca frowned at the remark. If he was talking about her mother, she would have been angry, but he was just talking to himself about her. What the¡­


    However, to preserve the dignity of a princess, she puffed her chest and admonished him sternly.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t judge people based on rumours without seeing them in person.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but gossips are really fun.¡±


    With a smile, the boy got up from the ground. He reached out his hand and Lilyca took it before standing up. It was then that the boy¡¯s attire caught her eye.


    He was dressed as gorgeously as he looked. He wore a vest and a blouse with richly embellished sleeves.


    Lilyca was impressed by the fact that he was dressed in an informal attire inside the Imperial Palace, and despite that, his appearance wasn¡¯t diminished in the slightest.


    ¡°Lord Bharat, be polite.¡±


    Bryn¡¯s voice came from behind. The boy grinned and gracefully put the parasol on his shoulder, making a curtsy.


    Lilyca opened her mouth involuntarily. It was the most elegant and stylish curtsy she had ever seen. Even Mrs Glenderin couldn¡¯t curtsy like this.


    He curtsied while wearing pants, which was rather unique, and it immediately caught her attention.


    ¡°Can I also do it this way?¡±


    Lilyca said with sheer admiration. Bryn frowned at his smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice¡­ No, it¡¯s really elegant.¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, the boy tilted his head and burst into laughter.


    He stopped laughing and spoke softly.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    What he did was enough to be seen as a mockery, but she was admiring what he did anyway.


    ¡°But I am serious?¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, the boy giggled again.


    ¡°The child is called Fjord Bharat. It is Bharat¡¯s finest masterpiece.¡±


    The last words were full of sarcasm, and Lilyca didn¡¯t know if Bryn was talking to herself or not.


    Lilyca responded.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lord Bharat.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Fjord.¡±


    ¡°Fjord.¡±


    Lilyca muttered his name before asking abruptly.


    ¡°Would you mind teaching me your curtsy?¡±


    ¡°Teaching a princess how to curtsy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never seen anyone do a curtsy like that. I really want to learn.¡±


    He scratched his cheek.


    ¡°I need the permission of the imperial family to teach the princess. Why don¡¯t you get it first?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I had no idea. I¡¯m sorry for asking so suddenly.¡±


    Seeing the young princess apologising seriously, Fjord made a strange expression. He smiled bitterly and folded the parasol before giving it back to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the tactic to make fun of you is going to work. Let¡¯s just go back home. You won¡¯t hear good things if you say you met me here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that as well, Princess.¡±


    Bryn chimed in. Lilyca nodded in response. Bryn seemed to want to leave this place as soon as possible.


    Lilyca followed her through the woods and looked back. Fjord, who was standing there, curtsied again, and Lilyca waved her hand without realising it.


    As they left the forest, Bryn let out a sigh.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet Bharat here.¡±


    ¡°What about Bharat?¡±


    Bryn said a thoughtful, ¡°Ummm,¡± while raising her eyebrows.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s something I can¡¯t talk about. The same goes for Mrs Glenderin. How about asking the empress?¡±


    The composition of political dynamics between families was not something a maid could explain, nor was it a story for an etiquette teacher, who was not powerful in the least, to tell.


    ¡°Yes, but he was a very beautiful person.¡±


    Lilyca said with a sigh. Bryn asked with a smile.


    ¡°More than the Empress?¡±


    ¡°No, Mother is always the best! There is no one in this world more beautiful than my mother.¡±


    But he was the second most beautiful person. And yet, the iridescent reflections on his silver hair lingered in her mind.


    Curious, Lilyca quickly headed back to her mother. As the audience had just finished, Lydia welcomed her daughter comfortably.


    ¡°Mother, do you know a Fjord Bharat?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know.¡±


    Lydia knew the name well.


    Wasn¡¯t he Duke Bharat¡¯s masterpiece?


    Was he around twelve by now? He¡¯ll be dead in three years.


    Fjord Bharat will die mysteriously, and Duke Bharat will go even madder than he was now.


    ¡°Why are you asking about Fjord Bharat?¡±


    ¡°We met in the garden. He picked up my parasol.¡±


    Lydia frowned at her daughter¡¯s words.


    ¡°Fjord Bharat? In the garden of the Sun Palace?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Lydia was deep in thought.


    The Duke of Bharat was aiming for the throne. The head of the aristocracy, who was perfectly opposed to the imperialists, was the Duke of Bharat.


    However, he was not satisfied as the head of the aristocratic faction and he wanted to overthrow the imperial family. Before her return, Lydia stood with Duke Bharat and aimed for the Crown Prince¡¯s life.


    If the Crown Prince died, Duke Bharat would be able to take over the throne.


    Apart from the current Crown Prince, there were no direct descendants of the Takar family. A golden opportunity created by non-other than Duke Bharat himself.


    Even now, the Crown Prince¡¯s mother was of humble birth. In terms of lineage alone, Duke Bharat was closer to the throne.


    Except.


    The ¡®power¡¯ that only a Takar could use, and the greatest weakness of Duke Bharat.


    ¡®Bharat can never defeat Takar.¡¯


    Lydia, who knew the identity of the current emperor, snorted.


    She had been on Bharat¡¯s side, had lost her daughter, and had been burned at the stake as a traitor.


    ¡®No.¡¯


    Lydia clenched her teeth and corrected herself.


    ¡®Lily died because of me, and I was burned because of my stupidity.¡¯


    If possible, she did not want to be entangled with the nobles or the imperial family. If it had been possible to get out of the slums other than by contract marriage, she would have done it.


    However, this was the best way to utilise the knowledge that Lydia had acquired after returning.


    ¡®But I haven¡¯t thought much about Fjord.¡¯


    He was an outsider from the beginning because he was a person who had died on the way. Rather than that, what would come next¡­


    Lady Bharat.


    As soon as she remembered it, she frowned, and Lydia changed her mind.


    Why was the son of the leader of the aristocratic faction wandering around the Sun Palace? It can¡¯t be good.


    Looking at her brooding mother, Lilyca mustered her courage and spoke up.


    ¡°Mother, by the way, Fjord is very good at doing a curtsy. I want to learn, but I need permission¡­¡±


    ¡°A curtsy from Fjord Bharat? I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a boy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he is a boy, but¡­ He¡¯s really good at doing a curtsy!¡±


    Was it okay to say yes with what happened with the crown prince?


    ¡®He¡¯s going to die in three years anyway, so it¡¯ll be okay, right?¡¯


    Besides, it was the first time her daughter had asked for something first.


    Atil had broken his promise to come to Lilyca¡¯s tea party, she had said she was fine, but Lydia knew she was still saddened inside. So, she wanted to do something for her daughter.


    Lydia went through her plan mentally. Her goal was simple.


    Earn money while acting as the empress, settle down after the divorce and live happily ever after with her daughter.


    She had no intention of being too greedy. One life was enough to burn everything under the sway of desire. Now, even the crown of the empress rolling in her hand was nothing more than a toy. All she could think about doing was staying true to her contract with the emperor, swaying the social world, and saving money frugally before retiring with her sweet daughter.


    ¡®But it¡¯s easy to get stabbed in the back if you retire.¡¯


    She was thinking of leaving while maintaining some good connections. So that if anything happened to Lily later, she could respond efficiently.


    She had no intention of leaving the aristocratic society without a single connection.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask the Bharat family. But I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    It was not bad to throw a stone at the Bharat family.


    ¡®Let¡¯s see what kind of ripple is drawn and how the fish move.¡¯


    Lydia, who had worked as a minion under Bharat, had a rough idea of his plans.


    However, it was always necessary to check.


    ¡°Really? Thank you!¡±


    Lilyca smiled brightly and hugged Lydia. Lydia laughed lightly.


    Now, when she held her daughter who had gained weight, it felt soft and nice. The sound of her laughter was pleasant and cheerful.


    ¡®As expected, my daughter is the cutest in the world.¡¯


    The problem was that other people seemed to have noticed that her daughter was the cutest in the world.


    Suddenly, Lydia hugged her daughter tightly, recalling the emperor, a dragon bird saying nonsense about being her father.


    ¡®I¡¯ll never give you Lily! I¡¯m Lily¡¯s only parent!¡¯

 Chapter 12

    Author: Cristal


    Looking back, even in her past life, the nobles were very interested in Lilyca. It was only now that Lydia thought that the modest Lilyca must have been fascinating to them.


    ¡®But when I think about it, that¡¯s not entirely accurate. They are quick to notice.¡¯


    Lydia smiled after releasing Lilyca who was beginning to stifle.


    ¡°It¡¯s a request from Lilyca, so of course, I have to listen.¡±


    The sight of her daughter savouring her words was also lovely.


    Graceful tenderness and firm gentleness were treasures that only a trained eye could recognise.


    ¡°Mommy will soon be rich. Then Lily can buy anything she wants.¡±


    ¡°Rich?¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s voice was mixed with a bit of unease. Lydia nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes, Mommy found a great investment.¡±


    ¡°What kind of investment is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a man named Ubara, and he was looking for someone to invest in his expedition. He left a little while ago. Lily would have been happy to hear his story too.¡±


    ¡°An exploring expedition?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilyca became anxious as Lydia nodded. It was an expedition.


    Lydia said frankly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told here and there that he¡¯s a fraud, but the truth is that he¡¯s an honest man.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because his clothes are a little off, but you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Anxiety rushed in like a dark cloud, and Lilyca asked softly.


    ¡°So how much did you invest?¡±


    ¡°All the down payment.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Lydia reassured her daughter, who had a surprised rabbit-like face, several times.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Trust your mother.¡±


    Lilyca couldn¡¯t bring herself to say, ¡°That¡¯s the most unreliable thing!¡±


    She mumbled and jumped up from her seat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him myself.¡±


    ¡°You? okay. He may not have left the palace yet, so if you let me call him now¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I will go and meet him this instant.¡±


    She was not going to give the scammer time to prepare. Lydia nodded when she saw her daughter who rushed to her while saying she was going to battle.


    ¡°Then go for it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilyca stormed out intending to get her mother¡¯s investment back from Ubara. Bryn bowed lightly and followed her.


    Lydia laughed softly, ¡°Oh, dear.¡± It was nice to see her daughter being so brave.


    Ubara may be confused, but¡­


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll persuade her well.¡¯


    His slick storytelling skills must have contributed to him being called a swindler.


    However, the man who was called a fraud would soon become a legend of the expedition team.


    The empire was very large, but the land he will discover was much wider.


    On one side he will find an endless desert inhabited by criminals and fugitives, and on the other, he will find that place.


    An unknown land where human-eating monsters roamed, where no compass, no constellations, and even the rising sun were useful.


    It was a sea of trees.


    Endlessly flooded.


    But this natural floodgate was a treasure trove of new things. Rare spices and plants were brought from the sea, and they were sold at very high prices.


    So, many people set up an expedition to venture into those waters, and many did not return.


    Therefore, it was expensive to set up an expedition, and the patronage of the nobility was essential.


    Ubara also wandered around seeking the patronage of the nobles, but everyone thought he was a fraud.


    After being rejected by the nobles, he received the first joint investment from the commoners and returned with tremendous achievements.


    After that, joint expeditions had become popular, but Lydia was not part of it.


    Thus, she planned to invest her entire fortune in Ubara.


    Obviously, Lilyca didn¡¯t believe in her, and that was largely Lydia¡¯s fault.


    She was thinking of showing some great success to instil trust in her daughter.


    As she stood up and approached the window, she saw Lilyca running. Lydia laughed involuntarily.


    She had compiled some of the big events ahead.


    Now, she¡¯s been busy establishing herself in high society.


    The evenings she graced with her presence became more and more recognised.


    Bustle against crinoline.


    The Crinolians were aristocratic, and it seemed that they will not be influenced by the empress, who didn¡¯t acknowledge where she came from.


    ¡®That¡¯s their loss.¡¯


    Anyway, the next time the grand theatre catches on fire, the women in crinoline will not be able to escape and will burn.


    Then, the bustle dress would completely settle, and the Empress would have artificially advanced the fashion.


    ¡®Well, I can¡¯t let it burn though.¡¯


    She shook her head as she came up with a plan. She took out a new paper to write a letter.


    * * *


    There was only one way out, so, as she ran across the garden, Bryn said from behind, ¡°The imperials walk, they don¡¯t run.¡± But Lilyca didn¡¯t think it was necessary to be part of the imperial family right now. She quickly caught up with him.


    ¡°Wait for a moment! Stop!¡±


    The man who was walking along the corridor, following the servant, stopped in surprise. Lilyca took a deep breath.


    The servant next to him bowed his head and said hello.


    ¡°Greetings to the Princess.¡±


    Startled, the man took off his colourful feathered hat and bowed his head.


    ¡°Greetings to the Princess.¡±


    ¡°Are you Ubara?¡±


    Lilyca crossed her arms and raised her voice as sharply as possible.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    Ubara answered politely. Lilyca was amazed by his gorgeous outfit. They were clothes she had never seen while living in the palace.


    The man had a smooth face, and he was holding in his hand a triangular hat with colourful feathers. The clothes he was wearing were also very colourful. His hair was braided in a few strands and decorated with beads. What should she say?


    ¡®An actor?¡¯


    She had never seen a play, but it was like seeing a theatre actor coming out from a painting.


    ¡®He really looks like a scammer.¡¯


    Feeling the trust she had in her mother, a trust she had never known, falling through the ground, Lilyca narrowed her eyes.


    Bryn gestured to the watchful servant to back away. The servant bowed quickly and trotted out of the corridor.


    Lilyca said straightforwardly.


    ¡°I just heard that my mother promised you an investment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    Ubara didn¡¯t know how to look at the princess, the hot topic of the empire, so he had no choice but to only glance at her, even though he knew that eye contact was not allowed.


    However, the story that came out of the princess¡¯s mouth was like a thunderbolt in the dry sky.


    ¡°There are many rumours that you are a swindler, so you must have deceived my weak-hearted mother.¡±


    Lilyca stamped her feet like an angry lamb.


    ¡°Go and tell my mother the truth right now.¡±


    With his eyes wide open, Ubara said hurriedly.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Princess. What do you mean by a scammer? I feel wronged. If the princess listens to my story, she will know that it is true.¡±


    Ubara appealed seriously. He finally got a patron; he couldn¡¯t lose it like this.


    At his desperate words, Lilyca pondered for a moment.


    It was too much for Lilyca to leave right away without even listening to his story.


    She spoke in a rather solemn voice.


    ¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s hear the story first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡±


    Ubara swallowed his saliva and lowered his head again.


    Bryn recommended.


    ¡°Princess, you shouldn¡¯t be doing this here, let¡¯s go inside and listen to his story.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll listen while walking outside. Is it okay if we go for walk?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lilyca didn¡¯t want to invite him into her room. She thought it would be even more heartbreaking to kick him out. If they talked while walking in the garden, and she had the thought, ¡®It was a scammer after all,¡¯ she could just run away from him and tell everything to her mother. Wasn¡¯t it a better option?


    Lilyca and Ubara started walking side by side. Ubara coughed and began to talk.


    ¡°I have already been in and out of the flood three times. The first time, I lost all my companions.¡±


    The story of his adventure, which began like that, captured Lilyca¡¯s heart at once.


    Ubara¡¯s eloquence was so good that by the time he finished his story, Lilyca was tearing up.


    ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t even know that, and I thought Ubara was a scammer.¡±


    Ubara smiled. He knelt on the dirty ground of the garden.


    ¡°Thank you for crying for me like this. Please, Princess, do not do what you mentioned earlier. I will definitely be back.¡±


    Lilyca snorted.


    ¡°Okay, I get it.¡±


    She sighed and took a silver coin from her pocket.


    It was an old, stained, silver coin that contained all her dreams.


    She held it out to Ubara and said.


    ¡°I will also invest in Ubara. It¡¯s not much, though.¡±


    Lilyca explained what had happened in the slums and smiled. Ubara felt the weight of the silver coin falling into his palm with a heavy heart.


    ¡°You really believe in me.¡±


    Words came out of his mouth without realising it. Ubara looked at the silver coin.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the young princess.


    ¡®They look alike.¡¯


    It may be natural that she resembled her mother, but she really did.


    Ubara went to the noble families here and there to find an investor.


    Later on, he was bullied because they believed he was a scammer. They said they would listen to his story, so he made it even more compelling. But they all burst into laughter.


    ¡°I called because I wanted to hear the story. Hey, why don¡¯t you just go out as a theatre actor?¡±


    They laughed at him. He was rumoured to be a good storyteller, so they paid him for the story and sent him out.


    It was disappointing, but above all, miserable.


    When the new empress called him, there was no expectation. He had come because he dared not refuse the call of someone so powerful.


    The story he had spat out was insincere even to his ears, but the empress had said, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    He had been dumbfounded and had asked, ¡°You trust me?¡±


    The empress just smiled and wrote the check on the spot.


    Ubara quietly looked into the beautiful eyes of the princess.


    ¡°I will definitely make it happen.¡±


    No matter what.


    At all costs.


    Lilyca responded cautiously at Ubara¡¯s words.


    ¡°Still, take care of yourself.¡±


    Ubara smiled brightly.


    ¡°I will follow your orders.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilyca nodded, and at the end of the story, Bryn properly called a servant.


    Ubara bowed to Lilyca again before following the servant to leave the palace. Bryn asked.


    ¡°Are you okay, Princess? Giving that silver coin like that.¡±


    Bryn also knew how precious that silver coin was to Lilyca. She couldn¡¯t believe the silver went into the hands of someone who seemed to be a fraud.


    The silver coin didn¡¯t matter to her, but she was worried that Lilyca, who believed in him, would suffer later.


    ¡®Besides, the Empress seems to have promised a significant investment.¡¯


    If this rumour spread, she would certainly become a laughing stock in high society. Bryn also listened to the story, but it was so dramatic that it all sounded like a lie.


    If this was true, that man was a great person. It was so daring of him to say that he lost his stake to a friend in the end, and became an unknown broke.


    Maybe that¡¯s why nobody invested.


    Lilyca nodded.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying.¡±


    Bryn tilted her head.


    ¡°Can you tell if he was lying or not?¡±


    ¡°Not that. It¡¯s a sort of feeling.¡±


    Bryn only nodded and said, ¡°I see,¡± to the princess with a serious face.


    ¡®Yes, it¡¯s better to have all sorts of experiences.¡¯


    Bryn thought so.


    * * *


    ¡°I heard you got dumped by Atil?¡±


    When she went into the office, Alteos had said it with a grin. Lilyca pouted.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get dumped. It¡¯s because His Highness is too busy.¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Alteos looked at her for a moment and then muttered.


    ¡°Actually, he may more need of a person like you rather than me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The story of Atil playing tricks.¡±


    Alteos said so and looked down at the paperwork. Lilyca crept closer and asked, placing the tips of her hands on the desk.


    ¡°Are you worried?¡±


    Lat raised his head at her words. Alteos also turned his gaze back to his adopted daughter.


    Lilyca tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°I think you are worried about something.¡±


    Alteos raised his chin and looked at Lilyca. He reached out to her and pressed her forehead firmly. Then, he gave it quite a bit of strength, but the little one held well.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡±


    At his words, Lilyca made a face asking if that was true. Alteos asked.


    ¡°More than that why?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why did you think I was worried?¡±


    ¡°Because you look worried?¡±


    What more could be said? Lilyca tilted her head in the opposite direction again. Alteos said.


    ¡°I thought it was perfect for killing time. But I¡¯m getting more and more interested in it, and that¡¯s why I feel troubled.¡±


    [Cristal¡¯s NB: He¡¯s talking about Lilyca.]


    ¡°?¡±


    Lilyca couldn¡¯t understand but listened intently. When you¡¯re tired, isn¡¯t it sometimes comforting to just complain?


    Even if she couldn¡¯t do anything else, she was confident in her listening abilities.


    Alteos chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°What is¡­¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard a knock on the door. Lat got up and opened the door.


    Atil walked inside with a report and stopped. He stared intently at Lilyca, who was standing next to the emperor¡¯s desk. Lilyca was startled and turned to greet him.


    ¡°Greetings to the Crown Prince.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t ignore her openly here, so he nodded his head lightly.


    He turned his gaze to Alteos.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have brought you the report you asked for.¡±


    Lat took the report instead and handed a basket to Atil.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Take it, go to the lake with her and get on a boat.¡±


    Alteos said, pushing Lilyca on the back.

 Chapter 13

    Atil looked at Lilyca, then quickly turned his gaze to Alteos.


    ¡°Is that an order?¡±


    ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°Then I will.¡±


    Atil bowed his head. Lilyca looked at Alteos in bewilderment, then Lat and finally Atil.


    It seemed that she had no choice here. Lat looked at her troubled face and nodded as if understanding, but did not take sides.


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Alteos pushed her back again. Lilyca was pushed and took a few steps forward.


    ¡®Since it¡¯s like this anyway.¡¯


    Then, Lilyca said to Atil.


    ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Have a good time.¡±


    Lat smiled and saw the two of them off. Lilyca sighed and followed Atil.


    She asked as she walked down the hallway.


    ¡°Do you want me to hold the basket?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Atil replied briefly.


    They didn¡¯t say anything until the lake shore. Atil made it clear that he had no intention of making conversation.


    Lilyca followed him and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    Atil glanced at her. Lilyca said with a smile.


    ¡°The sky is really blue. The clouds are beautiful and the weather is very nice. Oh my God, the lake is so pretty.¡±


    Bursting with admiration, Lilyca looked around.


    The lake was quite far from the palace, so she had never been here.


    ¡°There are not many people. The lake is quite wide¡­ Where does it lead? Wow, that¡¯s an island in the middle, right? There¡¯s a small building on the island, too. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter if Atil didn¡¯t answer. Lilyca was excited and chatted while looking at the lake.


    Atil heard her voice. He didn¡¯t think she was noisy because it was outdoors.


    It was just awkward.


    It has been a long time since he had heard a voice like that. A bright, worry-free voice.


    He placed the basket on the boat that was moored by the lake and held his hand out to Lilyca.


    Lilyca opened her eyes wide, smiled and took his hand.


    Only then did he see her face. It was different from the face he had seen at that moment.


    [NB: The moment they met.]


    Lilyca said as she got into the boat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask His Majesty to do this.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    He had stood her up like that, so there was no way Lilyca would ask to meet him first.


    Atil untied the rope and pushed the boat towards the lake with his foot.


    Lilyca was about to say something to Atil, but was startled by the rattling boat and stopped.


    Soon the boat began to move smoothly along the waves. Lilyca held on to both sides of the boat for the first time in her life and gradually relaxed.


    Atil skillfully stood and rowed, and Lilyca looked at it curiously.


    ¡°This is my first time riding on a boat. So, this is how it feels.¡±


    Lilyca got used to it quickly and was excited. She slightly put a finger in the lake and pulled it out, before looking up at Atil.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Atil looked at her. Lilyca opened her mouth candidly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Your Highness is thinking, but I¡¯ve always wanted a brother. When children my age and I had fights, their sister and brother always came to their help. I¡¯m alone, so I¡¯ve always been envious of that.¡±


    She smiled slightly.


    ¡°So, I was happy to have an older brother, even if it was, in reality, a cousin. I don¡¯t know what Your Highness¡¯s thoughts are about that.¡±


    Oh, there was one more thing.


    Lilyca thought to herself and continued.


    ¡°I want to be close to you.¡±


    Lilyca asked, with all her strength in her pleading eyes.


    ¡°Can we?¡±


    Atil blinked. It was the first time he had heard the words ¡°I want to be close to you¡± like this.


    His blue eyes looked at Lilyca¡¯s turquoise ones.


    Like the emerald sea, eyes that seemed to take you to a far-off foreign country, far from here.


    He had no blood relatives. No, Alteos was there, but he wasn¡¯t a friendly man.


    So, Atil was alone.


    Always, completely alone. Atil tried not to think about it.


    He tried his best, but even the words of a little girl shook his heart, just like this.


    He bit his lip and changed the subject.


    ¡°My father had many brothers and sisters.¡±


    Lilyca waited quietly for his words.


    ¡°There were six. But when my father ascended to the throne, he was the only one left.¡±


    Lilyca widened her eyes.


    ¡°Did everyone die?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He must have been very sad.¡±


    Lilyca murmured. Atil laughed involuntarily.


    It was the first time he heard such a thing. Everyone paid more attention to stories such as ¡®Assassination¡¯ or ¡®Fight for the throne¡¯, but no one talks about their feelings.


    ¡°Right, he must have been.¡±


    Atil had no choice but to answer that way. Even if he had siblings, he couldn¡¯t bring up the story that he was fighting for the throne, or that he was only a threat meant to be assassinated.


    Lilyca pounded on her chest.


    ¡°I will not die.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I will never die, so don¡¯t worry. I will not make you sad.¡±


    Atil chuckled.


    ¡°And are you always on my side? Will you come to me if you need me?¡±


    ¡°Sure! That¡¯s what siblings do. If someone bothers you, I will go and punish them.¡±


    It was funny to see a little one swearing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t need this.¡±


    Lilyca calmly responded to the sharp spit. Atil stopped talking.


    Lilyca had her cheeks dyed red.


    ¡°I know. Words like ¡®always¡¯ or ¡®forever¡¯ may sound empty, I know that, but still.¡±


    Lilyca jumped up from her seat. Still, there was a height difference, so the eyes did not match, but their faces were closer than when they were sitting.


    ¡°I needed it.¡±


    And then she added softly.


    ¡°And I believe it exists.¡±


    Atil tightened his grip on the oar.


    He wanted to believe in it too, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Atil looked away instead of answering, and Lilyca was not disappointed. He reminded her of a stubborn stray cat.


    A black cat with its tail sticking out in the slums.


    A cat that is always arrogant, and is so sharp and beautiful that it will never be stoned by children.


    Trust doesn¡¯t come from just one hand held or a single word.


    Meanwhile, the boat arrived at a small island. The ropes were tossed on a stake in the dock to moor it, and the two berthed on the island.


    With familiarity, Atil started walking with a basket, and Lilyca followed. On a small island, a gazebo with tables and chairs were set up.


    There, as he opened the basket and laid out the food, someone approached them.


    Atil looked at the person and relaxed.


    ¡°Rowin.¡±


    ¡°You cannot go without an escort.¡±


    ¡°Well, His Majesty is always spontaneous.¡±


    Atil sighed and introduced him to Lilyca.


    ¡°Rowin, my escort knight.¡±


    ¡°My name is Rowin Gray. Princess.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Lilyca greeted him lightly. She had a strange feeling.


    ¡®I have a bad feeling out this.¡¯


    He was called Atil¡¯s escort, but it didn¡¯t feel right. She heard an alarm sound in the corner of her mind. It was strangely clear and distinct. This was obviously a person who would cause harm.


    ¡°How did you know where we would be?¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s question, Rowin shrugged.


    ¡°I asked the servant.¡±


    Atil turned his back on him and opened the basket. Lilyca glanced at Rowin.


    ¡°They put everything in.¡±


    Unknowingly at those words, Lilyca tiptoed and looked into the basket.


    In an instant, goosebumps ran down her spine. She saw Rowin holding the handle of his sword when she glanced sideways.


    The attention of a slum child, accustomed to violence, was turned on him at once. The sense that had always saved her was now screaming.


    Lilyca¡¯s hand turned to Atil without realising it. At that moment, Rowin swung his sword like lightning. At the same time, Lilyca pulled Atil with all her might.


    ¡°!!¡±


    By a hair¡¯s breadth, Rowin¡¯s sword grazed Atil. A few hairs flew into the air.


    If Lilyca hadn¡¯t reached out first, it would have been too late.


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    Rowin¡¯s voice was so nonchalant that Lilyca wondered if he had been trying to exterminate insects with his sword.


    Lilyca jumped onto the bench and opened her arms to block Rowin and Atil.


    ¡°How come¡­¡±


    Atil¡¯s trembling voice came from behind her.


    ¡®What do I do? What do I do? How can I outsmart a trained adult male with a sword?¡¯


    Lilyca stared intently at Rowin. Rowin sighed.


    ¡°Because I served the Crown Prince for eight years, at the very least, I wanted to send you off without knowing, for the sake of it.¡±


    ¡°Why, why¡­ !¡±


    It was a squeaky voice. Lilyca exclaimed.


    ¡°Hey, you villain!¡±


    Rowin paused. Lilyca continued.


    ¡°Traitor! Bad guy! The worst guy is the one who thinks he has a plausible reason!! Shamelessly trying to kill a child!¡±


    Rowin said with a tired expression to Lilyca, who was yelling at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the emperor to make such a vulgar girl, of unknown origin, a princess. The problem is that such a person is the emperor of the empire. Now the empire is a new¡ª¡±


    Then something flew from behind Lilyca¡¯s back. The moment Rowin swung his sword and blocked it, the sound of the bottle shattered and pepper powder spread all over the place.


    At the same time, Atil grabbed Lilyca¡¯s hand and ran.


    But the escape did not last long.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    The moment he grabbed her hair, Lilyca released Atil¡¯s hand.


    But Atil did not let go. He stopped, turned around and clenched his teeth.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    Lilyca shouted, but Atil didn¡¯t listen. Lilyca was out of breath.


    Her eyes went dark.


    ¡®Uh?¡¯


    A strange crackling sound was heard.


    It was physically dark in front of her eyes. The hand holding her hair loosened, and she felt the warmth of the palm that covered her eyes.


    ¡®What? What happened?¡¯


    Flop.


    There was the sound of a person falling.


    ¡°Both of you look fine.¡±


    The hand that covered her eyes was removed. As she tried to look back, a strong hand prevented her from turning her gaze.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t look behind you.¡±


    So, she looked up and saw His Majesty standing there. Alteos smiled brightly.


    Then, she noticed her legs shaking. Lilyca was desperately holding back tears from welling up in her eyes.


    Atil looked at the dead Rowin with a disappointed expression, then turned his gaze to Alteos.


    ¡°Me¡­ Did you use me as bait?¡±


    The end of his voice trembled slightly. Alteos tilted his head at that, then smiled.


    ¡°Who knows.¡±


    Atil bit his lip. At the same time, Lilyca shouted.


    ¡°I do not like it!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lilyca tried to turn around, but she couldn¡¯t because Alteos was still holding her head with both hands.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s too much to say that. That way, like this! Please tell us exactly. Did you use us as bait? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll be very sad and angry, but then I can ask you why, or if I have misunderstood. But I truly hate that kind of answer.¡±


    Lilyca, who had poured out everything in one breath, gasped and kept her mouth shut. Atil looked at Lilyca blankly. Alteos was silent for a moment, then said.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Atil raised his head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t use you as bait. It was just a spontaneous decision. Your mother made a fuss all of a sudden.¡±


    Then, Alteos muttered softly, ¡°How the hell did she know¡­¡±, and continued.


    ¡°I was on my way to look for her, but when I found out that Atil was in danger, I flew here. I came first, and your mother will be here soon. Look, no, you can¡¯t see it. Anyway, I can see her on a boat.¡±


    In an instant, Lilyca slipped and fell to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes.


    Surprised Atil approached.


    ¡°Uhh, huuk, waah¡ª¡±


    In the end, seeing Lilyca burst out crying, Alteos asked.


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Atil was startled by this and knelt before her on one knee.


    ¡°Maybe something went wrong when Rowin caught her¡ª¡±


    All of a sudden, Lilyca hugged him. Atil held his breath.


    ¡°S-s-scary, I was very scared, waah, waah, I¡¯m glad, I¡¯m glad that¡­¡±


    Lilyca hugged him with a cry of waah, boo, hoo.


    Atil stiffened in embarrassment. It was the first time someone hugged him.


    The child¡¯s arms and body were surprisingly thin, and her body temperature was hot. He didn¡¯t like the sound of her cries.


    While wondering what to do, slowly patting her back, Lilyca dug into his arms like a puppy.


    Somehow, without realising it, a voice came out like a whisper.


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t die.¡±


    At those words, in his arms, a murmur echoed, ¡°I will never die.¡± Atil smiled involuntarily.


    ¡°Lily! Oh, my goodness, Lily!¡±


    Then they saw the empress running, screaming, pale and tired. Alteos said, ¡°Both are fine.¡± He had said it, but it didn¡¯t seem to be heard.


    Embarrassed, Atil tried to push Lilyca away, but Lilyca stayed attached to him.


    What should he say?


    How could he explain this situation to the Empress?


    While Atil thought about it, Lydia rushed over and hugged them both at the same time.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe. That¡¯s a relief, really.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Atil held his breath.


    A voice filled with relief, saying that he was safe now, and a hand stroking his hair roughly.


    Atil, who had never been hugged by his mother, was desperately holding back tears.


    Alteos said in a stern voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who saved them, but why aren¡¯t you hugging me?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that now?!¡±


    Lydia jumped up from the ground and yelled. Her angry gaze turned towards the body.


    ¡°Oh my God. Let¡¯s cover it right here. It¡¯s not good for the children.¡±


    Lydia frowned, covering Atil and Lilyca¡¯s eyes.


    Only then did a commotion break out. First, when they crossed to the opposite side of the boat, Bryn and Bran, who were white as a sheet, were waiting for them.


    Pai stood restlessly and swept his chest several times. Tan and Lat were also present, and they had a low conversation with Alteos.


    Lydia said, patting their backs, ¡°Come on, you two, let¡¯s get some rest.¡±


    After a while, Lilyca took a hot bath and sat on the comfy sofa, drinking a large cup of hot chocolate.

 Chapter 14

    It was not the rich hot chocolate she had had before, but a soft chocolate milk mixed with milk. With each sip, her stomach warmed. Even her sharp nerves softened.


    Bryn asked.


    ¡°Are you okay now?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Nodding her head softly, Lilyca asked.


    ¡°What about His Highness?¡±


    ¡°Bran must be taking care of His Highness. Should I look into it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilyca nodded her head. Bryn winked at the other maid, and she darted out.


    Bryn said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you weren¡¯t hurt. You said he had caught your hair, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m fine now. I realised that I really shouldn¡¯t go around alone. Bryn was right.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to find it out this way. And in fact, it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s fault.¡±


    It¡¯s the fault of the person who decided that two small children should go on a picnic unaccompanied. Alteos didn¡¯t like having people around him, so he took Lilyca to the office and always left without waiting, and that was the problem, Bryn frowned.


    Then, the door swung open.


    ¡°Lily!¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    Bryn narrowly took the cup out of Lilyca¡¯s hand before Lydia could hug her daughter tightly.


    ¡°Were you afraid? Seriously, you don¡¯t know how shocked Mommy was. Oh my gosh. I didn¡¯t expect this to happen today.¡±


    She took a deep breath.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s why people should live a good life.¡±


    Lydia said to Lilyca. Although she knew that Atil would be attacked by his escort knight if left alone.


    Because he had hurt Lily, she wanted him to suffer, but she didn¡¯t know it would come to bite her back like that.


    ¡°I wish Mommy could be as kind as Lily.¡±


    Lilyca blushed and stuttered at those words.


    ¡°I am not that sweet. Today too, I yelled out loud to His Majesty, and then, um, even if Mother was unkind, I would still like her. Umm, it¡¯s not that I hate that you are kind.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Alteos deserves to hear that. Seriously.¡±


    With a snort, she ruthlessly disparaged her contract husband, before laughing.


    ¡°Still, hearing my Lily say that gives me strength.¡±


    It felt good to have a hand gently stroking her hair. As Lilyca relaxed, she began to fall asleep.


    She heard the whisper of two people in her sleep.


    ¡°The princess is sleeping.¡±


    ¡°I guess she relaxed. Poor thing, how surprised she must have been.¡±


    Lilyca felt a hand gently stroking her forehead.


    ¡°Let her sleep like this. Cancel all my schedule afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Empress.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could stay with you, but I have a meeting after this¡ª¡±


    As her voice gradually faded away, Lilyca fell completely asleep.


    * * *


    ¡°¡ª!¡±


    Lilyca kicked the air with her feet and opened her eyes. Cold sweats ran down her body. Her heart pounding loudly.


    ¡°Princess, did you have a nightmare? Are you okay?¡±


    The light turned on immediately and Bryn spoke quietly close to her. Lilyca raised her upper body and nodded her head.


    ¡°¡­what time is it?¡±


    ¡°It is now past midnight. Go back to sleep. I will be by your side.¡±


    Lilyca stared blankly into the air for a moment. Bryn asked, tilting her head.


    ¡°Can I bring you some cookies and warm milk? Would you like some fresh air?¡±


    ¡°Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°May I go see His Highness?¡±


    ¡°His Highness the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can I?¡±


    Bryn grinned.


    ¡°There is nothing that you cannot do. Let me ask.¡±


    ¡°Yes. thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Bryn smiled and walked out of the bedroom. Lilyca folded her legs and hugged them.


    Her mother must surely be with His Majesty, so she shouldn¡¯t disturb her.


    Even though she was all grown up, she had nightmares. And she couldn¡¯t go find her.


    ¡®A very, very bad person.¡¯


    It seemed that the name Rowin would never be forgotten. The shoemaker said so.


    People who do bad things and don¡¯t think they¡¯re bad are the worst.


    ¡°Everything they say is poison.¡±


    That¡¯s what he had said.


    Click


    Lilyca raised her head at the sound of the door opening.


    ¡°What are you saying? That it¡¯s fine¡­ Your Highness¡­?¡±


    It was Atil who was standing with his back straight. He walked over and set the lamp on the side table. He grabbed Lilyca¡¯s shoulder as she was about to get up in surprise, and Atil sat down on the bed.¡±


    ¡°You cannot sleep?¡±


    Lilyca looked at him blankly at the tone of the stern question, then nodded her head slightly.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t sleep like this¡ª no, you might not be able to sleep with me here. So, why?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°So, why did you want me to come?¡±


    Even so, while he was grumbling, the person in question still came.


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    He asked her again, and Lilyca said softly.


    ¡°Together¡­¡±


    She glanced back at him.


    ¡°I want to sleep with you¡­¡±


    Atil raised his eyebrows at the trembling girl. She had lowered her voice, and he did not take his eyes off her, continuously staring.


    Lilyca remembered that Atil didn¡¯t let go. He did not let go of her in that perilous situation and run away.


    So.


    So¡­


    In the end, Atil sighed deeply and gazed in her direction again.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Smiling, Lilyca moved her buttocks to the side and patted the empty space next to her.


    Atil looked at the place next to the little girl. Lilyca patted on it again.


    Atil slowly climbed onto the bed. Leaning against the large pillow at the head of the bed, he asked.


    ¡°Are you okay now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Atil had asked, now pushing Lilyca¡¯s head with a pillow as she answered with a smile.


    ¡°Now go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilyca smiled as she buried her face into the pillow.


    ¡°What are you so happy about?¡±


    ¡°Sleeping together like this. I truly wanted to try it if I would have had a brother.¡±


    Brother.


    Atil pondered this word slowly. He had never thought of the word so deeply.


    It hurt when you thought about it.


    Although Uncle Alteos was there, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was always alone.


    He slowly stretched out his hand. Seeing his hand hovering hesitatingly in the air, Lilyca raised her head and put it under his palm.


    He stroked her head gently.


    As he patted her round head, Atil felt his nerves loosen. Lilyca grinned.


    Looking at that smiling face, it seemed like what she had said earlier was a lie.


    He didn¡¯t expect her to stand in the assassin¡¯s way.


    He didn¡¯t even know she was going to yell at the assassin.


    Even saying something to His Majesty.


    There was no benefit to her from these actions.


    ¡®Come to think of it, the empress was also¡­¡¯


    Atil was with Alteos when Lilyca was immersing in the hot tub prepared by Bryn, trembling and shivering.


    No, to be precise, he was with the emperor and his wife.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that the Empress would say something to my uncle.¡¯


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± had said the emperor. ¡°I was planning of doing a background check on Rowin-¡± But his uncle was interrupted by Lydia, who had turned her heels and raised her voice.


    ¡°If you say it like that, I think he¡¯s going to distrust people even more. Could you please stop making others think that way just because you don¡¯t believe in humans?¡±


    ¡°What??¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, do you really have to speak as if we were all against you?!¡±


    Atil stood there, blinking his eyes at those words. He never thought that there would be someone who could raise their voice in front of His Majesty the Emperor.


    ¡°Distrusting people? Me?¡±


    Alteos¡¯ voice lowered, and Lydia stood right in front of him.


    ¡°Yes, you.¡±


    ¡°Ha, what do you know about me?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you know about me that you think I don¡¯t know?¡±


    Alteos took a step closer to her. Seeing Lydia, whose nose seemed to touch his chest, but did not back down, Atil began to admire her without realising it.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    At the moment Alteos was about to growl, Lydia raised her hand.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Then, she turned to Atil.


    ¡°I will support you until you become emperor. His Majesty and I have no intention of having children. It looks like Alteos is neglecting everything, but I¡¯m going to raise you to the throne. I have this in mind.¡±


    Alteos was about to say something, but Lydia stopped him again.


    ¡°You said we wouldn¡¯t fight in front of the kids, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Alteos clicked his tongue at her words and exhaled a short breath. Then he crossed his arms and closed his mouth. Lydia continued.


    ¡°And so did I. I support his plan to put you on the throne. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe it or not. I¡¯m just stating the truth.¡±


    ¡°Talking to a child like that.¡±


    Alteos scoffed from behind, but Lydia didn¡¯t even look back.


    ¡°Then, you may go now. Oh, and Atil. Alteos stated he never have been involved in an assassination attempt before. Didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Alteos frowned.


    Why would he want to kill Atil?


    ¡°Very well. Now, go. I have something to talk to him about.¡±


    And then, Atil left the office as if he had been kicked out.


    Bran and Pai ran up to him and asked if he was okay, but he was in no mood to answer. It felt like a storm was raging in his head.


    Seeing him in thought, Bran and Pai also shut their mouth.


    Atil¡¯s feelings were complicated.


    Even at night, he couldn¡¯t sleep. So, when he heard Lilyca¡¯s request, he said he will come directly.


    Remembering her face, he felt like it would lighten up his complicated mood.


    ¡®And looking at this silly face.¡¯


    All his worries seemed to disappear. How could this girl be so defenceless?


    Weak even.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Lilyca called him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, Your Highness?¡±


    Atil pressed her head tightly, making it bury itself in the pillow.


    ¡°¡­?!¡±


    ¡°I am used to it. This is already my fourth assassination attempt.¡±


    ¡°Fourth?!¡±


    Atil nodded as she pressed her head against his palm to rise in surprise. He mumbled despite himself.


    ¡°I thought His Majesty knew everything and left it alone.¡±


    He thought he was using him as a chess piece.


    That it didn¡¯t matter if he died.


    No, he could get to live as long as it maintained the emperor¡¯s throne.


    But today he heard it wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t.¡¯


    The sight of his uncle fighting with his aunt ¡ªa word that Atil was embarrassed about¡ª came as a fresh shock to the boy.


    ¡°Still, I think it would be scary even if it was the fourth time.¡±


    With a deep sigh, Lilyca said. Hearing her voice, Atil was perplexed.


    How could she say this?


    The people closest to him were Brand and Pai. But they had a family. A family.


    If the world were to be destroyed tomorrow, they would abandon him and run to their family.


    Or, if he dies, they would mourn him a bit and fill his place with another lord.


    Atil was always replaceable.


    However, if the family disappears, that place is empty forever.


    Something irreplaceable.


    There was no such thing for him.


    So far, it had definitely been that way.


    Yet, a weak, reckless, and defenceless being arose.


    It was troubling. Embarrassing.


    What should he do with her?


    ¡®I have no choice but to protect her.¡¯


    Atil thought sternly.


    ¡°I feel more betrayed than scared.¡±


    Lilyca clasped his hand, stroked his hair, and turned to lie down with him.


    Atil chuckled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that. Because, when you got angry in my stead, it made me feel better.¡±


    He looked into her eyes. Her eyes, which seemed to take him to a faraway foreign land, eyes that shone brighter than a candle in the dark.


    ¡®I really feel like I¡¯m in a foreign land.¡¯


    Nothing had changed since yesterday, or so he would like to think. However, everything had changed.


    But he was determined to never say that to Lilyca.


    It was a matter of pride for the 12-year-old boy.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t worry anymore and go to sleep.¡±


    As he pulled up the blanket and covered her shoulders, Lilyca closed her eyes. Atil didn¡¯t pull out his hand as she was clasping it tightly.


    During the assassination attempt, she had been very scared, but at the same time, relieved that Atil did not let go. Holding his hand tightly, Lilyca fell asleep.


    Atil felt Lilyca¡¯s breathing become even, and he extinguished the candle.


    ¡®Why now?¡¯


    He closed his eyes.


    Why would Rowin try to kill him now?


    He could have killed him as many times as he wanted, but he waited. He must have been waiting for the right time and instructions from his superiors.


    And that turned out to be now.


    ¡®What has changed is the existence of the Empress and¡­¡¯


    He glanced at Lilyca.


    ¡®Is it because of her?¡¯


    It is unknown where Rowin¡¯s order came from, but he must have guarded him for this sole purpose.


    It was suffocating to think that all the relationships he had had in the past were lies. It was as painful as water in the lungs.


    All people¡­


    ¡°Fhh¡­¡±


    Lilyca let out a small sound as if he had unwittingly tightened her hand. Atil was startled and withdrew his hand. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t wake up. A small hand tried to clench the air.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Family.


    A younger sister without a single drop of blood.


    But family was something irreplaceable.


    Atil slipped from the head of the bed and laid down a pillow to face her.


    It was the first time he fell asleep next to someone. There were so many firsts that he was stunned.


    Still, Lilyca¡¯s breathing didn¡¯t bother him, and he soon fell asleep.


    ¡®I¡¯ve never been tempted by sleep so easily before.¡¯


    It was his last thought before he went into Morpheus¡¯ arms.

 Chapter 15

    After that, she couldn¡¯t see her mother¡¯s and His Majesty¡¯s faces for three days.


    When she went to the office, Lat said, ¡°The two of them are eating together and are not ing to work because the meeting has been prolonged.¡±


    Atil had a look on his face saying, ¡°I¡¯ve found out what I didn¡¯t want to know.¡± and Lilyca worried.


    ¡°What is it with this long meeting? More than that, I think it would be better for Lat to attend the meeting rather than Mother.¡±


    Did her mother have anything to say to His Majesty? She thought that Lat would know a lot better.


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Lat looked disgusted.


    ¡°I¡¯m never attending that meeting.¡±


    Tan laughed like crazy to himself. Lat threw a wad of paper at the back of Tan¡¯s head and said.


    ¡°So, you can relax for a while. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t e to the office. Both of you.¡±


    Tan grabbed the second roll of paper Lat had thrown and turned around. With a smile still on his face, he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if something happens, we will tell you.¡±


    At the words of the Prime Minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Knights-Guards, the two were pushed out of the office. Lilyca shrugged her shoulders and said worriedly.


    ¡°Is Mother okay?¡±


    ¡°It may be difficult physically, but my uncle can¡¯t be that much.¡±


    Atil replied casually and paused, then looked at Lilyca. Lilyca shook her head at him, saying, ¡°Whew.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange that he has a meeting with Mother, putting aside physical strength. Of course, I love Mother very much, but¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t know why her mother had been talking about assassins with His Majesty for so long.


    Atil coughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a useless worry.¡±


    ¡°Is guess so.¡±


    ¡°What story are you talking about? The person I was waiting for became anxious.¡±


    [TL: Pai was waiting for Lilyca and he saw her being anxious while talking to Atil.]


    Pai, who had been waiting nearby, approached them. And before she knew it, Bryn and Bran quickly joined behind them.


    Pai smiled and looked at Lilyca.


    ¡°Hello, Princess. I wasn¡¯t able to formally introduce myself.¡±


    ¡°This is Pai, this is Lilyca.¡±


    Pai frowned at Atil¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°Do you really have to?¡±


    ¡°Why? What?¡±


    ¡°You look just like His Majesty the Emperor.¡±


    Atil¡¯s face hardened slightly at Pai¡¯s words. Before he could say anything, Pai quickly bowed deeply to Lilyca.


    ¡°I see the high ¡®Nara Takar¡¯. May your name shine like a star. I am Pai from the Sandar family. You may call me simply Pai.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s eyes widened. She had learned, but it was the first time she was formally greeted.


    She heard that it is not monly used except for ceremonies because it is old-fashioned.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. Pai of the Sandar family. My name is Lilyca.¡±


    Pai raised his head and smiled.


    ¡°It is an honour to be introduced to you by your first name, Princess.¡±


    The imperial family had a first name and a second name; externally, they operated under the second name. The first name was how they were called by their close ones ¡ªthe idea was from a hundred years ago, and now, everyone used the first name.


    Mrs Glenderin told her so.


    For some reason, she felt like she had bee a real princess, so her heart pounded. Pai pulled up Bran, who was standing next to him, and said,


    ¡°This is Bran Sol. Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Bryn¡¯s older brother?¡±


    Bran bowed his head and said hello.


    ¡°I see the high ¡®Nara Takar¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Call me Lilyca.¡±


    Since the Sol family does not have a title, they can¡¯t introduce their family name in front of the royal family.


    However, Lilyca thought that the fact that there was no royal family who did not know the ¡®Sol family¡¯ was the interesting thing about the Sol family.


    Pai had beige, straight hair up to shoulder length, and some of it was braided to the right.


    ¡®By the way, Lat also has long hair. Do the people of the Sandar family grow all their hair?¡¯


    I¡¯ll ask him later, Lilyca thought before quickly grabbing Bryn.


    ¡°This is Bryn Sol, my maid of honour. She is a very dear friend of mine.¡±


    Bryn said, ¡®Oh my God.¡¯ as if moved. She placed her hand on her chest and gracefully greeted them while holding her skirt.


    ¡°I see the people of the highest rank.¡±


    Pai marvelled at Bryn¡¯s audacity to say hello to all of them at once, and Bran pressed down on his stomach.


    Atil looked at Bryn with a stern look. He didn¡¯t like that Lilyca said ¡®a very dear friend¡¯.


    He openly ignored Bryn¡¯s greeting and pulled Lilyca¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Uh? Your Highness?¡±


    Lilyca was startled and started walking along, and the group began walking one after another.


    Atil was thinking about what to say to Lilyca, and then he mentioned,


    ¡°I heard you invested in a scammer?¡±


    ¡°A scammer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Is that Ubara? The guy who¡¯s doing something. They said he must be a scammer, but I heard that the empress invested in him. Maybe you did too?¡±


    Lilyca stopped.


    Atil stopped almost at the same time without pulling her with force. He looked back at Lilyca and she said seriously.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a scammer.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ubara is not a scammer. He¡¯s a good person.¡±


    ¡°That is the hallmark of a con artist.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a swindler.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°You can tell by listening to his story. He¡¯s not a fraud.¡±


    ¡°Going into floods is always a gamble. How can you guarantee that it is 100% possible? That guarantee itself is a fraud.¡±


    ¡°No, Ubara has experience.¡±


    When Lilyca answered with determination, Atil¡¯s expression began to harden.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a crook. Do you think there are only good people in the world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I know best! But Ubara is not a scammer.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do if that bastard is a scammer?¡±


    As their conversation escalated, Pai panicked and put himself between them.


    ¡°Now, why are you two fighting over that person?¡±


    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just about that.¡±


    Bran responded. Atil looked down at Lilyca with his arms crossed, and Lilyca looked at him without losing ground.


    ¡°If that bastard is indeed a fraud, after that, when you¡¯ll invest in someone, e find me and get my permission.¡±


    Lilyca straightened her back.


    ¡°Okay. Unless he¡¯s not a scammer.¡±


    Lilyca raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°And please don¡¯t call people I trust a scammer.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Both of them looked satisfied. Lilyca quickly took Atil¡¯s hand again.


    Atil looked at Lilyca in surprise. Since they just argued, he thought they would part like this.


    But Lilyca was different. He grabbed her hand with a smile.


    ¡®I see.¡¯


    It was okay to fight like this with Lilyca.


    Atil held her hand. Lilyca asked.


    ¡°I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Do you really have a territory? What kind of territory is it?¡±


    ¡°I have a territory, but the problem is that crops do not grow well because it is in the north.¡±


    ¡°Because wheat is vulnerable to cold weather. We may have to change the type of crop. Well, even if we change the type of crop, it won¡¯t bring much value.¡±


    Pai shrugged. Lilyca tilted her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good land?¡±


    She thought it would be a good land if it was the Crown Prince¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as cold as the land of the Inro family, but it¡¯s not that good either.¡±


    Atil added to Pai¡¯s words.


    ¡°You have to be able to cultivate such a land well to bee emperor.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    But it¡¯s a cold land, and she didn¡¯t like it.


    Lilyca didn¡¯t particularly like snow. If you step on the snow with your bare feet, it will feel like it¡¯s on fire. Or a sharp pain like a cut. Even though she could endure the summer heat, the winter cold was scary.


    What if her nose or toes fall off?


    At night, she was always worried about that.


    ¡°But it is very beautiful in summer.¡±


    At Atil¡¯s words, Pai nodded.


    ¡°The birch forest is beautiful. Summer is really pretty. Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries ¡ªberries of all kinds abound. During this time, you can pick a lot of them and make jam or syrup. Full buckets of them. Bears are eating them like crazy. Oh, and honey es out a lot too. Nuts are also present.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°It sounds great.¡±


    ¡°I want to invite you when I go down to the estate in the summer. I think I will be staying in the capital this year.¡±


    ¡°Yes, invite me. Please.¡±


    At Lilyca¡¯s words, Atil frowned as if contemplating.


    ¡°If you have your escort knight.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, that¡¯s right. His Highness needs to pick one, right?¡±


    Pai added softly. Atil started walking again without saying a word.


    Pai and Bran looked into each other¡¯s eyes and sighed.


    Lilyca said.


    ¡°I have tried raspberry jam before. It was very pretty. It sparkles like a jewel and tastes so sweet¡­ You mean there are a lot of them, right?¡±


    It¡¯s awesome. This territory was like a dream.


    Bran laughed because Lyrica muttered so much. Atil snorted and tapped Lilyca on the head.


    ¡°Jam is boiled down with sugar. Real raspberries aren¡¯t that sweet.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, I want to fill an entire bucket.¡±


    Atil paused for a moment. He stopped and contemplated, then clenched his hand and began to walk quickly.


    In the meantime, the party left the Sun Palace and headed for the backyard. The place was also quite wide, so they walked for a while. Bran said as he could see Lilyca starting to get tired.


    ¡°Excuse me, Princess, but can hold you?¡±


    ¡°Weakling.¡±


    Atil clicked his tongue and he lifted Lilyca. Lilyca cried out in shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m heavy!¡±


    ¡°You Highness, I will do it.¡±


    At Bran¡¯s words, Atil said, ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± and started walking. It was twice as fast as before.


    Lilyca stared blankly at Atil, then looked down at the floor. Then she looked at Atil again and asked.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I heavy?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lighter than a colt.¡±


    Lilyca rolled her eyes rolled. Was a colt light or heavy?


    She had never seen a colt, so she didn¡¯t know.


    Lilyca spoke again.


    ¡°Your Highness is quite strong.¡±


    Atil let out a small laugh involuntarily.


    It was funny that she doesn¡¯t know what a Takar was, what a Sandar was, or what a clan was.


    Funny and lovely


    Atil quickly erased the last words from his mind.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Atil said standing in front of the wall covered with ivy vines. Lilyca looked up at the wall.


    ¡°Are you going to climb the vines?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Atil put Lilyca down and set the ivy aside. Then an old wooden door appeared there.


    Lilyca widened her eyes. Was the door leading out?


    Atil took the key out of his pocket. The old wooden door creaked, but the latch opened without problems.


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Atil pointed to the inside of the door and Bryn quickly caught Lilyca who had tried to enter.


    ¡°I will go in first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Bryn and Bran entered, followed by Lilyca, Atil, and Pai, who closed the door.


    Lilyca, who passed through the door, exclaimed.


    There was another garden.


    The garden, which looked to be about 200 meters, looked like it had not been cared for a long time. However, it was a structure that looked closer to a field than a garden.


    Small apple trees and vines were growing at will, and herbs and bushes were scattered everywhere.


    The stone roads were disorganized, and the pillars that had been erected had fallen.


    There was also a small hut. Was it a gardener¡¯s hut?


    But most of all, it was the bushes that caught Lilyca¡¯s eyes. Among the green bushes, there were many bright red fruits.


    Atil said.


    ¡°Pick only the ripe ones.¡±


    ¡°Where are we? What is this place?¡±


    Lilyca kept asking questions, but Atil asked bluntly instead of answering them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to pick raspberries?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s raspberries!¡±


    Lilyca jumped and exclaimed. Confused, she turned to Bryn.


    ¡°But where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To get my apron. I¡¯ll also bring a bucket. Shall we pick just as much as we can eat today?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lilyca ran to the raspberry bush. The bright red ripe berries were picked one by one by hand, and while taking them to her mouth, she threw some into Bryn¡¯s skirt as well.


    The ones that looked pretty were going in the apron, and the ones that weren¡¯t were for the mouth.


    Not only raspberries, but other bushes were also in bloom, and the herbs were giving off a sweet, tangy scent.


    Lilyca also put a fruit in Bryn¡¯s mouth. This is because Bryn was unable to use her hands as she was holding the apron with both hands.


    She collected some of the biggest and most beautiful fruits and gave them to Atil and Pai.


    Bran said with a smile.


    ¡°We can help too.¡±


    As soon as several people picked the fruits, a pile of raspberries piled up on the apron.


    On the way back, Atil gave Lilyca the key.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Now you use it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Can I use it?¡±


    ¡°I think that would be better.¡±


    ¡°Are you really okay with this?¡±


    Bran asked carefully, and Atil nodded. Lilyca clenched the key with both hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use it, but the owner is Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°But you will be using it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. However, let¡¯s be co-owners.¡±


    After all, when His Highness es of age, he will bee His Majesty the Emperor, and she will have to leave. She had no intention of taking it all by herself, nor was she confident.


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Atil replied and ruffled her head. Lilyca burst out laughing.


    It was very nice to have someone touch her without hurting her.


    Lilyca decided while holding the key.


    ¡®I have to make the garden beautiful for when I¡¯ll return it to His Highness.¡¯


    As Atil suddenly remembered, he asked what he had been concerned about for a while.


    ¡°By the way, how long are you going to call me Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to call me Your Highness anymore.¡±


    At that question, Lilyca somehow felt a sense of disorientation. She thought she heard the same question somewhere.


    Lilyca answered, tilting her head.


    ¡°Then, Prince Atil¡­?¡±


    ¡°You said we were brother and sister.¡±


    In the end, Atil said, ¡®Must I explain to you more?¡¯ Lilyca smiled as she grabbed his hand at the words he uttered with that embarrassed expression.


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    Atil smiled faintly and took Lilyca¡¯s hand. Lilyca led his hand to the kitchen excitedly.


    The people in the kitchen were so frightened by the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince that their faces hardened. When Bryn served the raspberries, the cook politely asked,


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook it for you. Should I send it to the White Dragon Room and the Black Dragon Room respectively?¡±


    Lilyca said after one glance at Atil.


    ¡°Send it to the White Dragon Room. And send the best to His Majesty and Empress.¡±


    ¡°I see. Please, rest assured that it will be done diligently.¡±


    Lilyca said to Atil, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat,¡± and not long after taking him into the White Dragon Room, crystal balls full of raspberry cream came in.


    It was a cold dessert made by mixing sweet and fresh whipped cream with raspberries and sugar.


    After eating cream and raspberries until she was full, Lilyca became happy.


    After putting the last raspberry in her mouth with a silver spoon and enjoying the whirlpool of sweet and sour taste, she finished the tea with satisfaction.


    Pai laughed.


    ¡°Princess, you eat so sweetly.¡±


    Lilyca asked cautiously.


    ¡°Is something wrong? Do you think I ate without following etiquette?¡±


    Pai shook his head at the question.


    ¡°No, I just want you to look happy.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fun to eat something delicious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    However, no one had such a blatant feeling of happiness on their face as Lilyca.


    Somehow, Pie admired her expression because it made him happy just by looking at it. He lightly pressed his lips.


    ¡®Oh my.¡¯


    He had made a slip of tongue.


    ¡®I like that you look happy. What was this?¡¯


    It might have sounded like an insult if he had told other nobles. But Pie relaxed.


    Lilyca didn¡¯t twist words. She accepted them as they are without thinking twice or thrice.


    If she said she was happy, he¡¯ll believe her, and if she said she was sad, he¡¯ll believe her as well.


    He wouldn¡¯t even look for something hidden behind her words.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have to think about how to interpret her words, whom to report to, and whether to find weaknesses in them.¡¯


    Pai thought about it and apologised,


    ¡°Sorry, Princess, I made a mistake.¡±


    Lilyca shook her head.


    ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t have asked you if I wasn¡¯t following etiquette.¡±


    It was probably a question that a real princess wouldn¡¯t have asked.


    ¡°No. I made a mistake with that statement. Without realising it, my tongue became loose.¡±


    Lilyca stared at Pai and held out her empty glass bowl.


    ¡°Give me one, and I will forgive you.¡±


    Pai chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you two.¡±


    Atil, who was watching them, scooped raspberries from his cup and put them in Lilyca¡¯s.


    ¡°What¡¯s up Atil?¡±


    Lilyca asked and he answered,


    ¡°It¡¯s for every time there is something to apologise for in the future. I don¡¯t want to apologise for every single one of them.¡±


    ¡°Princess, please take good care of His Highness.¡±


    Bran poured his share into Lilyca¡¯s cup.


    ¡°Who are you to ask that?¡±


    Atil said in an annoyed voice, and Bran just laughed, ¡®haha¡¯.


    Raspberries piled up again in Lilyca¡¯s cup in an instant. Lilyca opened her mouth and looked at Bryn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give half to Bryn. I think Bryn will be a lot of help moving forward.¡±


    Bryn, whose cup was empty, smiled and held it out, and Lilyca gave her half.


    Pai was pleased.


    Although Atil grumbled, he looked fortable around Lilyca. Pai didn¡¯t know how long it had been since he had seen him like this.


    Above all, he never thought he would go back to the garden. The princess did not know how precious that garden key was to Atil, but Pai did.


    Lilyca will take great care of the garden and cherish it.


    ¡®That¡¯s fascinating.¡¯


    It was the first time for him to feel so fortable.


    ¡®Is this what adults in a family called to be relaxed? It¡¯s said you should marry someone you are fortable with.¡¯


    Comfort, which was rare for snakes, was awkward and interesting at the same time. But Pai was also anxious that the existence of such feelings would cause mistakes.


    However, Lilyca¡¯s existence as a person serving His Majesty was wele.


    ¡®As long as the princess doesn¡¯t betray him.¡¯


    She was still young, but no one could know how she will turn out when she grows up.


    Pai had seen several children who were healthy and cute when they were young, but as they grow up, they became like poison.


    When someone heard this story, they said, ¡®Young people say all sorts of things.¡¯ Pai, though, was thirteen. When you became a teenager in Sandar, you had the same right to speak as an adult.


    To survive in the snake¡¯s lair, you must have that level of intelligence at that age.


    ¡®I better be careful.¡¯


    It is better to be careful about beings that can loosen the boundaries of the mind.


    Pai thought so and put the remaining raspberries in his mouth.


    * * *


    It was three days later that Lyrica met her mother. She had heard that the meeting was over, but she thought her mother would be tired, so Lilyca decided to visit her later.


    Lydia was dressed in a gown and her hair was roughly tied together. With a very tired face, she kissed her daughter and said,


    ¡°Did nothing happen during that time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good my dear, ugh.¡±


    While trying to hug Lilyca, Lydia patted her back and let out a moan.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    When Lilyca asked in surprise, Lydia nodded her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just tired. Mommy looks ugly, right?¡±


    Lydia covered her cheeks and smiled. Lilyca shook her head.


    ¡°No, Mother is still beautiful!¡±


    Lydia laughed at Lilyca¡¯s words, ¡°Whoa.¡± Seeing that smile, Lilyca thought, ¡®Mother is really pretty.¡¯ And she admired her again.


    Although she looked tired, her skin was strangely shiny and her eyes were reddish, so she was very pretty. Lilyca frowned while staring intently at her mother.


    ¡°Mother, I think you have been bitten by an insect. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Here-¡±


    When Lylica said that while tapping the nape of her neck, Lydia hurriedly pulled back her gown.


    ¡°The red colour has spread quite a bit. Aren¡¯t you itchy?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, Mommy is okay. She¡¯s really okay.¡±


    Lilyca nodded her head as Lydia waved her hand frenetically. She must be ashamed of being bitten by an insect. She shouldn¡¯t though.


    Coughing, Lydia said as she touched the collar of her gown.


    ¡°In the meantime, I got a reply from Bharat. He said he¡¯d e to teach. Will you be all right?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t you want Fjord Bharat to e?¡±


    ¡°Wow-!¡±


    With pure joy, Lilyca clasped her hands. Lydia chuckled.


    ¡°Do you like it that much?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    Her mother yawned slightly and continued.


    ¡°When Atil hired a new escort, he decided to hire yours as well. Go to the Guard Knights and choose the one you like. You can ask Tan to pick a decent person.¡±


    Lydia said so and yawned again. Lilyca said,


    ¡°You must have been very tired from the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Meeting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you and His Majesty were staying together for a meeting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. It was a one-sided meeting¡­ one-sided¡­ fufu. Oh, but the meeting ended well.¡±


    Lilyca felt heavy at the thought of how hard it must have been on her mother. Still, she was glad that she had called her like this.


    Lilyca jumped up from her seat and hugged her mother tightly.


    ¡°Okay. Get a good night¡¯s sleep now. I¡¯ll listen to the rest later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mommy will sleep a little bit. Take the letter from Bharat to the maid.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Lilyca left the room, the maid handed the letter to Bryn.


    It was a letter with colourful flower patterns on it.


    ¡®It was said that the flower on those patterns was the ancestor of their family. So, is the ancestor of the Bharat family a flower?¡¯


    Could a flower be an ancestor?


    ¡®But it¡¯s plausible.¡¯


    Considering the appearance of Fjord, she really thought it could.


    Maybe he had a flower fairy as an ancestor or something like that?


    She arrived in front of the stairs while looking at the envelope of the letter. Lylica peeped around. She gave a dry cough.


    ¡°Bryn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Is there no one around?¡±


    ¡°No one is watching.¡±


    Lilyca looked at the railing secretly. Bryn asked politely.


    ¡°Would you like to ride down?¡±


    ¡°Will it be okay?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Okay then.¡±


    With Bryn¡¯s support, Lilyca raised her hips on the large, wide marble railing.


    ¡°Wow-!¡±


    At once, she gained speed and slid down the railing.


    ¡®Uh? Huh?¡¯


    The stairs were longer than expected and the speed was also faster than planned. What if she couldn¡¯t land properly?


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She was going to bounce off!


    At the bend of the railing, Lilyca made a small noise and closed her eyes tightly.


    She slowly opened her eyes; someone had picked her up. She lifted her chin and looked up to see His Majesty standing there.


    ¡°You can¡¯t close your eyes at the end. You need to find out where you¡¯re going to end up.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Surprised, Lilyca¡¯s eyes widened, and he hugged her gently. Alteos said to Bryn, who was standing next to her.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it dangerous?¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for His Majesty, I would have lifted her.¡±


    Bryn bent slightly her head. Alteos turned to Lilyca.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the princess¡¯s job included cleaning the railings.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s face turned red. Alteos stared intently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you want to clean the railing?¡±


    ¡°No, I slid down the railing¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you sorry about that?¡±


    Lilyca looked at him with a troubled expression. Alteos said, ¡°Oh.¡± and squinted his eyes.


    ¡°I am not asking you to confess your mistake. I¡¯m asking because I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re sorry about that.¡±


    Speaking, he looked into Lilyca¡¯s eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Did you see your mother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she looked tired.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Lilyca looked at Alteos¡¯ face involuntarily. Her mother looked tired, but His Majesty was somehow shiny.


    ¡°Did you like the oute of the meeting?¡±


    ¡°What meeting?¡±


    ¡°You said you had a meeting with Mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Alteos rolled his eyes and nodded.


    ¡°It was very satisfying.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Lily.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever asked your mother about that?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°The meeting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Alteos coughed a little.


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Lilyca wondered what to say.


    ¡°The meeting ended well.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°What? Uh, and.¡±


    When Lilyca looked at him, Alteos said, ¡°Honestly.¡± and smiled brightly.


    ¡°It was a one-sided meeting¡­¡±


    ¡°One-sided. Hmm¡­ is that so. Hmm¡­¡±


    Alteos said.


    ¡°Then, I should try to make a meeting that can satisfy both sides in the future.¡±


    Alteos dropped Lilyca down when he saw an envelope in her hand.


    ¡°Bharat?¡±


    ¡°What? Ah yes. I want to invite Fjord Bharat as a guest.¡±


    ¡°Fjord Bharat?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When she answered, Alteos was deep in thought. He reached out his hand and Lilyca handed him the letter.


    A letter envelope with Bharat¡¯s crest painted clearly, and a silver dragon crest indicating who the recipient was.


    ¡°Often, very often, I wonder what the Empress is thinking.¡±


    He muttered before returning the letter to Lilyca.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    Alteos turned the other way around and strode away.


    Lilyca looked at the invitation and asked Bryn.


    ¡°Do you think His Majesty is angry?¡±


    ¡°No, if he was angry, he would have killed either of us. Or maybe both.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Bryn smiling, Lilyca thought, ¡®It must be hard for aristocrats.¡¯ She put the letter in the pocket of Bryn¡¯s apron.


    It seemed wise not to let anyone see it.

 Chapter 17

    When she returned to the White Dragon Room, Atil was sitting proudly in it like its master. Bran was standing next to him, holding a teapot.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±


    Lilyca was perplexed at the words of the two of them.


    ¡°Somehow, I feel like I¡¯m the guest. Where did all my maids go?¡±


    ¡°I kicked them out because it bothered me to have them around.¡±


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    Lilyca frowned. After learning that there was only one servant, Bran, for the Black Dragon Room, Lilyca felt sorry for him.


    In Lilyca¡¯s room alone, there were only four maids, with Bryn at the head. The maids who changed the sheets or did chores were uncountable.


    However, it was sad to think that Bran alone had to do the work that the four maids had to do.


    Wasn¡¯t he a guest too?


    Since he came to the White Dragon Room as a guest, Bran should be treated as a guest, but Atil chased the maids out and let Bran serve him.


    Lilyca quickly ran up to the scaffold, reached out and pulled the string.


    ¡°Bran, sit back. Atil, don¡¯t bother my maids anymore.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bother them. I let them rest.¡±


    What was he talking about? Lilyca frowned. Bryn narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment. Princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Lilyca nodded her head. Bran smiled bitterly as Bryn waved her skirt and disappeared.


    ¡°The maids will be scolded.¡±


    ¡°The maids?¡±


    ¡°The owner of the White Dragon Room is the princess, and the maids were not here because of His Highness and not per your order.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that Atil is more¡­¡±


    Because he has a higher status.


    ¡°But they shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    Bran spoke slowly and filled Atil¡¯s empty glass. Lilyca¡¯s eyes narrowed. She ran and stood in front of Atil.


    ¡°So, you mean that he came in and acted like the owner of the White Dragon Room on purpose?¡±


    Atil took the glass and nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°They are my concern.¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s a family problem.¡±


    Was that so?


    Lilyca tilted her head, and Atil put the glass down and grabbed Lilyca quickly, placing her on his lap.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    She screamed in surprise and he pressed her cheeks.


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    After being corrected on what to call him, Lilyca called his name again with her mouth.


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    Lilyca rolled her eyes. This had happened before.


    Lilyca said,


    ¡°Atil really looks like His Majesty.¡±


    Atil¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°Do we look alike to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A lot.¡±


    Lilyca nodded her head vigorously. Their actions were very similar.


    Touching Lilyca¡¯s cheek, Atil was deep in thought. He spat out.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that before.¡±


    An emperor of unknown origin.


    Was he really his uncle? That¡¯s what he thought.


    The appearance that seemed to be mixed with the blood of a stranger rather than pure Takar also played a part.


    That was the reason why rumours circulated that Alteos¡¯ mother was from the desert.


    If he thought about it, it may be the only thing he and his uncle may have in mon.


    Their mother¡¯s origin.


    Neither Alteos¡¯ nor his mother were from the imperial family.


    Both of them were of mixed blood.


    He also knew Duke Bharat called them that way. Then, Lilyca grabbed Atil¡¯s cheeks.


    Atil looked down in surprise. Lilyca said with a sullen face.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s unfair to just touch my cheek.¡±


    ¡°Have you been like this to His Majesty too?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did you do this with His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty never touches my cheek like this.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡®Is that so?¡¯ thought Atil with a satisfied face, pulling Lilyca¡¯s cheek once more and letting it go. Lilyca got off the sofa with a dissatisfied look and stood up straight.


    Atil languidly leaned against the sofa and lifted the teacup, and Bran, who was standing there, quickly filled it.


    Then, stiff maids came in one after the other. One of the maids stepped forward and took the teapot from Bran. The other maids quickly prepared refreshments and examined Lilyca¡¯s mood. Seeing this, Atil sarcastically sneered.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of being self-conscious now? Get out of here.¡±


    The maids flinched and looked at Lilyca upon hearing Atil¡¯s mand. Lilyca said to Atil,


    ¡°Let my maids serve me.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Saying that Atil looked at the maids as if trying to remember every one of them. The last gaze fell on Bryn.


    ¡°At least this one seems reliable.¡±


    Bryn smiled at his words, and Lilyca nodded.


    ¡°I rely on Bryn a lot.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t say that you depend on someone below you.¡±


    Lilyca whispered softly with a puzzled face at Atil¡¯s words.


    ¡°I think trust is two-sided.¡±


    Besides, Bryn wasn¡¯t ¡®below¡¯ her. She was her dear friend.


    Atil raised an eyebrow lightly. Lilyca quickly changed the subject before Atil said anything about her favourite maid, Bryn.


    ¡°By the way, Mother told me to pick an escort.¡±


    Atil meekly agreed to the obvious change of subject.


    ¡°You really need one.¡±


    ¡°She said that you already picked an escort. Why don¡¯t you go to the Guard Knights with me and choose more people?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Go pick yours yourself.¡±


    ¡°What? However-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    He waved his hand. Lilyca¡¯s expression was filled with worry. She sat down next to him and raised her cup.


    Lilyca turned her gaze to Atil while looking at the small teacup that was the size of her hand.


    ¡°But it is necessary.¡±


    ¡°With the guy, who was my escort for 8 years, that tried to kill me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you need more.¡±


    Atil shook his head and ruffled her hair.


    It was rough enough to push the fixed hairpin, but Lilyca did not avoid it.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Atil paused at Lilyca¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t heard such a straightforward ¡®I¡¯m worried about you.¡¯ in his life since his father¡¯s death.


    His vassals wouldn¡¯t dare say that to him, and Alteos wasn¡¯t the kind of person to say that.


    ¡°I had a nightmare that night and I couldn¡¯t sleep properly. But what if that happens again? What if Atil doesn¡¯t have an escort with him? When I think about it, I get so worried that I can¡¯t even sleep.¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯s like the other guy?¡±


    Lilyca answered calmly without hesitation.


    ¡°Pick them with me.¡±


    ¡°With you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have a very good sense about people!¡±


    Lilyca quickly appealed with her talent. Atil made a strange expression.


    ¡°A sixth sense?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh-huh. Don¡¯t make that face. A sixth sense, what are you talking about? You¡¯re thinking I¡¯m saying whatever, right? But I¡¯m very good at sensing bad things. In fact, I didn¡¯t feel good when your previous escort appeared.¡±


    Lilyca raised her head triumphantly and continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. When I was young, there was a grandmother who was kind to children and gave out sweets. All the kids loved her. But I was the only one who didn¡¯t like that grandmother. So, even when she asked me to e with her, I didn¡¯t go and I didn¡¯t eat the candies. Later, I found out that the grandmother was a human trafficker!¡±


    Atil¡¯s expression hardened. The expressions of Bryn and Bran, who were listening next to them, also became strange.


    Lilyca continued to show off her achievements by sticking out her chest.


    ¡°And there was also an uncle who asked the children to help him with his luggage and gave them pocket money. He was giving a fairly large coin for moving light luggage, so the children followed suit. But I didn¡¯t like him. And again. Was he a bad person?¡±


    Lilyca continued in a low voice.


    ¡°They said he did bad things to the children and sold them.¡±


    ¡°Bad things?¡±


    When Atil asked, Lilyca answered with a serious expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but maybe it was because he starved, hit them or something? That and¡ª¡±


    Lilyca folded her fingers, recounting the events she had luckily avoided.


    ¡°There were also owners who did not pay wages to their employees. I¡¯ve never worked for people like that. Well, except when I ignored my senses.¡±


    Lilyca shrugged. Sometimes, she had to do it even though she thought something bad would happen.


    At that time, she was prepared, and bad things happened inevitably.


    Lilyca let out a small sigh and said,


    ¡°I only avoid very bad things, but I can¡¯t choose the good ones. However, isn¡¯t that okay?¡±


    How was it?


    ¡®Trust my senses for once.¡¯


    Lilyca looked at Atil with a face saying that. Atil bit his lip and ruffled her hair with both hands.


    ¡°Hey? uh?¡±


    Her body shook back and forth no matter how hard she tried to resist.


    ¡°Atil!¡±


    Eventually, when Lilyca struggled, he let go and hugged her tightly.


    ¡°Ack!¡±


    She was crushed and hugged so strongly that a strange voice came out on its own. Atil laughed.


    He asked teasingly,


    ¡°Was that awkward?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because Atil hugs me so tightly!¡±


    Lilyca exclaimed and he said in a relaxed voice,


    ¡°Subtract one raspberry.¡±


    Instead of apologising to every one of them, he said that he would replace his apologies with raspberries.


    Lilyca cried out in dismay.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deduct two raspberries!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Atil relaxed the arm that was holding Lilyca. It¡¯s still surprisingly small and soft.


    Her body temperature was high and he could feel her heart beating faster. Even if she was angry, he didn¡¯t feel threatened at all, rather, he found it cute.


    By the way.


    ¡®I mean, she lived such a dangerous life. Human trafficking.¡¯


    The serfdom had long since disappeared from the Empire. It was thanks to the fact that it was more efficient to squeeze peasants than serfs.


    Slavery had officially disappeared, but it still did informally.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have the Capital Guards look into it.¡¯


    Atil narrowed his eyes, then gently pushed her away and looked at her face. Lilyca looked back at him and said hesitatingly,


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t subtract two raspberries, so why don¡¯t we go pick the escorts together?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    Lilyca jumped from her seat. Atil laughed.


    ¡°Yeah. But not today, later.¡±


    He thought he would have to go through the Capital Guards¡¯ report today.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, really.¡±


    He got up from his seat and tried to brush her tangled hair neatly, but was unsuccessful.


    ¡°I will do the hair.¡±


    Bryn quickly came to their side and stopped Atil. She should prevent further tangling with the hairpin.


    Atil let go of his hand and nodded.


    ¡°Then, see you later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, be well!¡±


    With her dishevelled hair, Lilyca saw Atil off to the front door. Bran smiled, greeted her deeply and followed his master.


    Bryn quickly sat Lilyca in front of the mirror and picked up the b. Bryn removed the hairpin, bed her hair and said,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the princess had a good sense.¡±


    ¡°I can feel bad things very well. The problem is that I can¡¯t do anything about them.¡±


    She could just avoid it without doing anything. Still, Lilyca knew how helpful it was to run away and how grateful it was to avoid the worst.


    Bryn nodded, delicately moving the silver b.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough to avoid it or be prepared for it.¡±


    Lilyca¡¯s hair, which Bryn had tamed, glistened and flowed down like a craftsman-polished tree.


    Bryn backed away, tying her walnut-coloured hair back neatly as the sunlight glided down like pearls.


    Lilyca stood in front of the mirror and looked back and forth. It was not as good as her mother¡¯s, but when she looked at it like this, she felt proud and thought, ¡®pretty cute.¡¯


    Lilyca, who turned away from the mirror, said in a bright voice.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s go to the library. I need to find out what plants are planted in the secret garden.¡±


    She¡¯ll have to make the garden look stunning for Atil and return the key.


    * * *


    The library was as quiet as ever. Lilyca was going through the books one by one in the library, looking for books related to gardening.


    Bryn was looking through the bookshelf from the other side.


    ¡®Something¡­ acid¡­ soil¡­?¡¯


    Words that she never heard of popped up. Lilyca knew nothing about farming. She grunted at the large book and put it back, before pulling out another one. Then, a small booklet came off the shelf and fell.


    What is it?¡¯


    The booklet, the size of a palm, was written in gold letters on a black binding, ¡®A palpitating magic book for a girl.¡¯


    Lilyca was startled.


    ¡®It¡¯s a magic book!¡¯


    She grabbed the book and looked around. Bryn was still looking over the other side. Lilyca gently opened the book.


    How to make a talisman for a loved one.


    How to make the person you like appear in your dreams?


    I want to keep the story secret.


    When I looked at the table of contents, her heart trembled even more. She quickly put the book into her pocket.


    ¡®I¡¯m borrowing it secretly. I should read it and put it back discreetly.¡¯


    A magic book.


    Wondering why such a thing was here, Lilyca turned her attention to another book.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Uh? Yes!¡±


    Lilyca turned to Bryn in surprise, and she smiled and held out the book.


    ¡°I think this book will be good. The illustrations are detailed with explanations acpanying them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true! Thanks, Bryn. I think this will do!¡±


    ¡°Then shall we go straight to the garden with the book? I think it would be good to pare it directly with the illustrations.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice.¡±


    The magic book in her pocket was quickly forgotten, and Lilyca nodded her head.


    ///


    Translator: Hi guys! I thought long and hard about it, but I¡¯ll be dropping this novel. This decision saddens me, however, I was quite disappointed by the novel overall and I feel no joy translating it anymore. Siya¡¯s writing style is not my cup of tea, the stakes aren¡¯t high enough nor is the drama. I feel there¡¯s nothing but fluff and it bores me to no end (sorry not sorry lol). I¡¯m still hyped about the manhwa though and I want to discover the rest of the story through it. I¡¯m sure Chu Hea Yeon will change and cut the novel¡¯ parts appropriately. I began translating this novel because I knew Chu Hea Yeon was in charge of its manhwa adaptation. It was my first novel translation and even though I¡¯ll not see it to the end, I¡¯m still proud of my work thus far. I hope someone else will pick it up for you guys. If a translator is interested, I have the raws. Anyway, I can¡¯t wait for the manhwa¡¯s release next month and I wish you well. Thank you for your support, love you guys!

 Chapter 18

    Lilica spent the rest of the time focused on the garden. She was able to recognise quite a lot of plants by distinguishing them by types one by one with the large book opened next to her.


    ¡°But it seems like there are even more weeds.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you plough everything and plant new ones to your liking?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, I¡¯m not entirely sure, but Atil had treasured the key all this time. There must be a reason. I want to restore it to its original state as much as possible. Of course, it can¡¯t return back to its past state, but¡­¡±


    Brynn said to Lilica, whose nose was glued to the book and diligently reading.


    ¡°In that case, I think it would be faster to get help from a gardener. This place is too wide for a person to manage alone.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­can I ask for a gardener when it¡¯s a secret garden?¡±


    ¡°All you have to do is look for a gardener that can keep a secret. I don¡¯t think just reading books is enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Lilica sighed.


    The book she had was just a guidebook on plants, and not a book about how to grow certain plants.


    ¡°Then can I leave this to Brynn? I hope that you can find a good gardener.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll shortlist the candidates, so Princess, please check if they are a bad person with your intuition.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lilica nodded loudly. That¡¯s how the events of that day were settled.


    Lilica only recalled the book in her pocket when she returned to the White Dragon Chamber and was changing her clothes.


    ¡°Oh, wait a minute!¡±


    Lilica only thought about it just as Brynn was about to touch her clothes, and as such, she rushed into her bedroom and stuffed the book under her pillow.


    She wondered about what she¡¯d do if Brynn questions her about it, but she didn¡¯t say or ask anything.


    It was the behaviour of a trusted lady-in-waiting that noticed her master was trying to hide something.


    After dinner, Lilica laid down in bed and asked Brynn not to turn off the lights.


    When Brynn closed the door and left, Lilica, who was pretending to be asleep, quickly got up from her position and took out the book under her pillow.


    ¡®A collection of magic for a girl that has fallen in love¡ª¡¯


    She roughly skipped the preface, scanned the table of contents, and headed straight for the section she¡¯d seen earlier.


    ¡®Methods to make an amulet for the person you love¡ªget your loved ones out of the woods!¡¯


    This is it!


    Lilica read the book diligently. It was so that she could make an amulet for Atil.


    ¡®Ingredients, gold coins, gold coins? How do I get gold coins?¡¯


    She ran into difficulties from the onset. Gold coin? Where would she be able to get gold coins?


    Lilica has never seen gold coins before.


    ¡®First of all, the gold¡­¡¯


    Wash the gold coins until they are clean and place them within a glass bottle, then add clear water from a well and fresh herbs (refer to the types listed below) in the bottle and allow it to bask under the moonlight.


    Chant ¡®Fairy, fairy, please protect OOO (the recipient¡¯s name)¡¯, while wrapping it in a white handkerchief, and that¡¯s it!


    It was a simple method. The effect seemed to be relatively decent. From the anonymous review at the bottom, it seemed quite good. Atil definitely needs this!


    Herbs seem to be available in the secret garden, and she could prepare the well water, glass bottle, and white handkerchiefs, but the problem lay in the gold coins.


    ¡®Gold coins, my allowance from working in His Majesty¡¯s office¡­ No, I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to take it.¡¯


    She did it because she liked doing it. She didn¡¯t do it to get paid.


    ¡®Is there any way to earn gold coins?¡¯


    As Lilica pondered over it, she suddenly thought of Uva. By now, he was probably working hard travelling through the Sea of Forests.


    Lilica clasped her hands together.


    ¡®Please let Uva come back safely. Please protect him from danger and allow him to be unharmed. Please let him stay healthy and bring back a lot of good things.¡¯


    As Lilica prayed, she added.


    ¡®Also, please let me find some gold coins.¡¯


    * * *


    Lilica wiped the ink bottle clean and placed it on the desk. She also organised the documents neatly.


    She had even draped a blanket onto the sofa. Was His Majesty, Lat, or Tan sleeping?


    ¡°You¡¯re working hard today, Princess.¡±


    Tan grinned at her as he entered quietly with documents in hand.


    ¡°I heard you managed to persuade the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°It was a request.¡±


    Tan laughed again when Lilica corrected him. Lat asked.


    ¡°Persuade him about what?¡±


    ¡°He said he¡¯ll pick an escort.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s wonderful. Princess, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Lat praised her with a smile. Continuing to refuse getting an escort was a problem for both the Knights of the Imperial Guard and a matter for the Imperial Family.


    Altheos stared at her and beckoned for her to come closer. When Lilica trotted over, his hand swept against her forehead roughly.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you energetic?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lilica raised her arms out of surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m full of energy though? I also ate two sausages in the morning.¡±


    ¡°So the food wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°No, it was.¡±


    As Lilica shook her head, Altheos opened the drawer. Her eyes were suddenly blinded by something dazzling.


    ¡®Why was there a pile of gold, silver, and gems in the drawer?¡¯


    Lilica¡¯s mouth widened in surprise, while Altheos randomly grabbed a fistful of the pile of treasure and held it out to Lilica.


    ¡°Go get something delicious.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Hold on, Your Majesty. If you give it like that¡­¡±


    As the bewildered Lat stood up from his seat, Lilica quickly took out her coin purse from her pocket. It was the wallet that her mother gave her as a present.


    It was the precious wallet that she¡¯d carried everywhere. Lat saw the wallet and returned back to his seat.


    Altheos took the wallet from her and began to fill it with gold coins. Lilica spoke flusteredly.


    ¡°Your, Your Majesty, it¡¯s about to burst!¡±


    Her face turned teary out of fear that the wallet she¡¯d received as a gift would burst open. Altheos tried and failed to close the purse, and so he held out the open purse to Lilica.


    ¡°Here. Go and get something delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    Lilica lowered her head at the allowance she¡¯d received unexpectedly.


    Altheos patted her head gently a couple of times again.


    Just like he¡¯d heard nagging that puppies and kittens should be touched gently.


    Lilica giggled because she felt his affection. Though it was rougher than this, Atil also liked to stroke her hair like this.


    It¡¯s a clumsy method from people that didn¡¯t know how to do so, but Lilica found it rather nice.


    The corners of Altheos¡¯s eyes softened at her smile. He removed his hand and spoke.


    ¡°Off you go.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    She¡¯d gained gold coins from an unexpected place, so Lilica¡¯s steps became light.


    ¡®I¡¯ll make one for His Majesty, I¡¯ll make one from Mother, I¡¯ll also make one for Brynn¡ª¡¯


    As she had sufficient gold coins, the list of people to make an amulet increased.


    When Lilica left the office hurriedly, the waiting Brynn welcomed her.


    ¡°Did something good happen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, take a look.¡±


    Lilica showed Brynn her purse as she spoke.


    ¡°His Majesty gave it to me to buy something delicious because I looked listless.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my.¡±


    It was indeed an imperial gift from the emperor, but what should this be called?


    Brynn said.


    ¡°Shall we go back and look at what¡¯s inside?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Lilica quickly emptied the contents of her purse onto the desk once she returned to the White Dragon Chamber.


    There were several shiny gold coins and something white and round.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°These are pearls, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    It was her first time seeing a real pearl. So it was actually this pretty. So it was actually this beautiful.


    She finally understood what the description pearl-like skin was referring to.


    Lilica really couldn¡¯t believe that this came out of shells.


    ¡°It¡¯s so pretty¡­¡±


    Brynn touched the jewel in admiration.


    Transparent diamonds that sparkled colourfully, sapphires the colour of Atil¡¯s eyes, rubies as red as roses, emeralds that were like summer gardens.


    They were all high-quality jewels.


    ¡°I think it would be great to invite a craftsman to make ornaments.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re still very, very pretty like this.¡±


    The jewels that glittered underneath the sunlight were so pretty that it made people exclaim. Lilica said.


    ¡°Why is it kept in his desk drawer though?¡±


    ¡°Dragons like to hoard gold, silver and treasures.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    Lilica nodded, instantly convinced. She carefully pressed on the slightly swollen purse to turn it back into its original shape.


    ¡°Is there a place to store these?¡±


    ¡°Please give me a moment.¡±


    Soon, Brynn brought a velvet pouch and a jewellery box. The jewels were arranged neatly in the jewellery box while the gold coins were placed into the velvet pouch. Lilica secretly took two gold coins and placed them into her raspberry coin purse.


    ¡®I managed to secure gold coins with this.¡¯


    Now, all she had to do was prepare the herbs and well water. The glass bottle had something within.


    ¡®I should be thankful to Tan.¡¯


    Even if she ate all the candy, the beautiful glass bottle remained. Once it was washed and decorated, she could use that.


    ¡®What herbs were needed again?¡¯


    She¡¯d intended to check the booklet, but cold sweat dripped from her back.


    Didn¡¯t she fall asleep after placing the book underneath her pillow?


    The bedsheets were arranged by the maids every day. What if they¡¯d discovered the magic book?


    The anxious Lilica got up from her seat.


    ¡°Brynn, wait a minute.¡±


    When she entered her bedroom, she was faced with neat bedding as usual. With a tearful face, Lilica placed her hand underneath the soft pillow which she¡¯d originally placed it.


    ¡®It¡¯s not there!¡¯


    Like a maid that was straightening out the bed sheets, Lilica fumbled under the pillow, and eventually lifted the pillow, but she didn¡¯t spot the book.


    Her vision went pitch-dark.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    ¡°Princess, are you looking for this?¡±


    Brynn closed the bedroom door and held out the book cautiously.


    Lilica quickly picked up the book that¡¯s covered with a white cloth and opened it.


    It was that book.


    As Lilica looked at Brynn helplessly, she smiled and brought her index finger to her mouth.


    ¡°I will take the Princess¡¯ secret to the grave, so please don¡¯t worry. The title of the cover was too obvious, so I¡¯d placed a new cover over it¡­¡±


    ¡°Brynn¡­!¡±


    Lilica¡¯s voice trembled emotionally. She hugged Brynn tightly, and Brynn laughed.


    It was a booklet that was popular amongst aristocratic young ladies a few years ago.


    Other than this, fortune telling with flowers and names were once popular, but Brynn doesn¡¯t know where the princess had obtained this.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that she already has someone she likes.¡¯


    Brynn had thought that she was too young for that, but as expected, the Princess was different from the rest. Brynn nodded inwardly.


    Since she was mature, her crush might be an adult.


    ¡®Is it the Knight Commander or the Chancellor?¡¯


    Brynn started to feel excited at the thought that she could watch the progress of flitting feelings beside her.


    The title was blatantly saying that ¡®I have someone I like¡¯, so Brynn secretly placed another book cover over it.


    Wasn¡¯t this the virtue of having an excellent trusted lady-in-waiting?


    ¡°It will be difficult for you to finish the spell alone. Please allow me to be of assistance. What kind of spell do you have in mind?¡±


    When Brynn whispered her question, Lilica quickly opened up the booklet and found the right page.


    ¡°To make an amulet. I was worried about the gold coins, but His Majesty has given me so much. I¡¯ll make one for Atil, I¡¯ll make one for His Majesty, and I¡¯ll make one for Brynn!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my.¡±


    With a low exclamation, Brynn looked at the princess¡¯ serious expression.


    The princess seems to believe that this book was a real magic book.


    ¡®True, it¡¯s too early for our princess to experience romantic love. Yes, at this age, being loved is enough.¡¯


    Brynn threw all the previous thoughts she had out of the window and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll strive to be of as much assistance as possible, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brynn.¡±


    Lilica thanked Brynn sincerely.


    Now, Lilica didn¡¯t have to worry about how to sneak herbs or well water in.


    As they sat side by side in the bedroom and discussed the contents of the magic book in soft whispers, news about the arrival of a letter came from a maid outside.


    ¡°Letter?¡±


    ¡°Could it be from the Barat Duchy?¡±


    Lilica jumped up from her seat at Brynn¡¯s words. She left the bedroom and found a palace messenger standing at the entrance to deliver the letter.


    Once Lilica came out, the messenger greeted her politely and held out a letter.


    Once the messenger receded, Lilica opened the letter with a letter opener.


    Was it because the Duke of Barat¡¯s seal was a flower? The scent of flowers was emanating from the paper.


    The words that were written beautifully inquired about the scheduled date of the visit, and said that it would be alright to begin tomorrow.


    Fjord Barat was the sender. Lilica wrote back immediately.


    No matter how hard Lilica tried, she was unable to write beautifully like him. She tried her best to keep the ink from staining the paper.


    She wrote as concisely as possible, that beginning tomorrow was alright, around tea time would be perfect.


    This was because if she wrote for too long, ink stains would definitely be created.


    The excess ink dried sufficiently after sprinkling powder, and the letter was placed in an envelope, sealed with a wax seal, and passed onto the messenger.


    Barat wouldn¡¯t cause a disturbance with the imperial family inside the palace, but Brynn was still worried.


    Isn¡¯t he that Fjord Barat?


    Brynn persuaded gently.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the Knights of the Imperial Guard to look for an escort with His Highness the Crown Prince? I think the sooner the better.¡±


    Lilica nodded as she thought that Brynn was right. Since Black Dragon Chamber wasn¡¯t far away, she decided to go over immediately.

 Chapter 19

    After hearing about Lilica¡¯s business, Atil put on a jacket carelessly as he came out with a tired face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Atil, are you okay?¡±


    Pi, who was with him today, rubbed his eyes and said.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking me to look at documents about the capital¡¯s public security? Honestly¡ªUgh.¡±


    Pi groaned after Atil elbowed him.


    ¡°Stop with your unnecessary words.¡±


    Atil began to take the lead and Lilica followed closely behind. As he walked, Atil clicked his tongue and held out his hand.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    After Lilica took that hand in wonder, he pulled on her arm so that they stood side by side.


    ¡°Why are you following behind me like a maid? Are you a maid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because Atil is really fast.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that¡¯s slow.¡±


    He walked with large strides, so Lilica could only keep pace with him with hurried steps.


    Once he left the palace, Atil¡¯s speed went up even further. In the end, just as Brynn was about to say something as Lilica was being dragged about, Atil stopped.


    ¡°Do you know how to ride a horse?¡±


    ¡°What? No.¡±


    A horse?


    She has only ever seen the horses that pulled a carriage, but she has never seen anyone riding on a horse.


    She¡¯d heard that she would be able to see it if she took a walk in the palace¡¯s garden, but Lilica was really busy with work, so she didn¡¯t have time to go to the palace¡¯s garden.


    Atil criticised.


    ¡°You should be able to learn that much, right?¡±


    As he said that, he scooped up the panting Lilica.


    ¡°This is much better.¡±


    Lilica held his shoulders. She recalled the time when Tan gave her a ride on his shoulders.


    At that time, she felt very uneasy as it was very high up, but when Atil carried her, it wasn¡¯t that high up and it was stable.


    If it was like this, she would be able to land onto the ground safely even if she fell, right?


    Pi¡¯s eyes narrowed from the side. He wanted to say something to Atil, but he held it back because Lilica was present.


    The party arrived in front of the Knights of the Imperial Guard and looked for Tan.


    ¡°The Commander is still in the office.¡±


    There weren¡¯t any waiting rooms in the Knight Order, so if they wanted to wait, they had to wait inside the commander¡¯s office, but Atil refused because it felt stuffy.


    He told Lilica.


    ¡°Since Tan isn¡¯t here, how about coming again next time?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for him.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t today, she didn¡¯t know when Atil would come again.


    Atil sighed and slumped onto a long bench, saying, ¡°There¡¯s no helping it.¡± Lilica observed the inside surroundings of the Knight Order.


    The weapons that were hanging on the walls were very big and amazing.


    Just then, Lauv walked outside, dressed in plain clothes. Lilica greeted him happily.


    ¡°Lauv, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Lauv paused and bowed politely in greeting to Lilica.


    ¡°I greet the Princess.¡±


    ¡°Did Tan, perhaps, convey my words to you?¡±


    He smiled faintly when Lilica asked him in a small voice if her apology was properly delivered.


    ¡°Yes, I have received it.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s my first time seeing you in plain clothes. Are you on vacation from today?¡±


    Lauv fell silent at her question, before answering slowly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going back to my hometown.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­?¡±


    Just then, something squirmed and crawled up her spine. It was a spine-chilling sensation.


    The alarm bells started ringing as her intuition screamed danger. Astonished, Lilica took a step back.


    She kept her gaze trained on him, like she wouldn¡¯t take her eyes off something dangerous.


    ¡®Right now? Lauv? Nothing happened last time though? Everything was fine until a few moments ago.¡¯


    Lauv accepted that reaction of hers as natural. Lilica felt her fingertips turn cold and damp.


    ¡®What should I do? What should I do?¡¯


    Does that mean,


    Does that mean.


    Was going to his hometown the problem?


    At that moment, someone touched Lilica¡¯s shoulder. She turned around in alarm, but it turned out to be Atil. He was standing with his head tilted.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen? What did he say?¡±


    ¡°N¡ªnothing! He didn¡¯t say anything!¡±


    Her voice came out louder than she¡¯d thought it would.


    Lilica looked back at Lauv, thinking the hand on her shoulder was very reliable.


    She no longer felt nervous.


    ¡°Lauv, won¡¯t you be my escort knight?¡±


    Would it be alright if he didn¡¯t go back to his hometown?


    Lauv¡¯s eyes widened at Lilica¡¯s invitation. His eyes shook.


    Lilica felt the grip of the hand holding her shoulder tighten, but she continued looking at Lauv regardless.


    Lauv examined her carefully like he was trying to figure out Lilica¡¯s true intentions, and asked.


    ¡°Are you being serious?¡±


    Lilica stared at him directly, so that he could examine her carefully, and spoke.


    ¡°Yes, of course, there¡¯s nothing I can do if Lauv doesn¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    The alarm bells became much quieter than before. Lilica¡¯s expression became much more relaxed when she was convinced that not leaving was the right answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m no longer a knight. So¡ª¡±


    Lauv¡¯s expression darkened again. Lilica tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just hire you even if you¡¯re not a knight? Well, I¡¯m not sure if I can give Lauv a lot of money, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Atil shook her shoulder and spoke loudly.


    ¡°Why do you have to hire this guy? You¡¯re Lauv, aren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re going back, that means that you aren¡¯t qualified. What kind of shameless words are you spouting?¡±


    ¡°Atil!¡±


    Lilica raised her voice, turned around and hugged his waist tightly.


    ¡°Huh? Ohh?¡±


    Lilica looked back proudly at Lauv in the flustered Atil¡¯s arms and said.


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯ll hire you.¡±


    Ah! Then Lilica raised a finger.


    ¡°A pearl! What do you think?¡±


    Lilica could be bold as she¡¯d received pocket money to get something delicious this morning.


    ¡°You¡¯re being serious.¡±


    Lauv blinked.


    ¡°You, honestly,¡± Atil grumbled, but he didn¡¯t even think about pushing her away.


    Rather, he carefully adjusted Lilica¡¯s position out of worry that her cheek would be scratched by the decorative button of the clothes that he was wearing.


    ¡°I accept.¡±


    The moment Lauv gave his response, the ominous premonition that she felt disappeared completely.


    Lilica beamed happily. It was the first time that she¡¯d changed her premonitions by acting personally.


    Without running away.


    ¡®So, it can be changed.¡¯


    She suddenly felt like she possessed a great weapon.


    Lauv came a step closer to her and knelt down.


    When Lilica stared at him blankly, Atil clicked his tongue, grabbed and extended one of her hands, while holding her tightly with the other.


    Lilica was in Atil¡¯s arms and only her arms were thrown out to the wrong place.


    ¡°Oh? Ah? Ah!¡±


    Lauv held the outstretched hand and kissed the back of her hand lightly.


    ¡°I will serve you wholeheartedly.¡±


    ¡°Can someone explain what exactly is happening here?¡±


    When Lilica turned around, Tan was standing in front of the open door with a curious expression.


    ¡°I hired Lauv as my escort.¡±


    Tan frowned at Lilica¡¯s words. His gaze turned towards Lauv.


    Lauv rose from his position and stood beside Lilica.


    Tan asked.


    ¡°Did you know that that punk is leaving the Knight Order today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but can¡¯t I still hire him regardless of that?¡±


    Can¡¯t I?


    When Lilica tilted her head, Tan held his forehead and pondered for a moment, before raising his head.


    ¡°If that is the Princess¡¯ choice, then it¡¯s fine. In that case, I¡¯ll just have to bring out the candidates for the crown prince¡¯s escorts?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll choose.¡±


    Atil grabbed her shoulders and pushed her forward. Tan gave a faint smile.


    ¡°Princess Lilica will be the one choosing, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilica spoke flusteredly.


    ¡°Of course it should be chosen by Atil.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d look over them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that, so choose from the ones that I¡¯ve checked.¡±


    Atil snorted at her words. Although astonishment filled Tan¡¯s face, he politely urged them to head inside.


    The chair in the office was fluffy, and the tea and snacks were distributed to everyone.


    Lauv was packing up his luggage and sending it to the White Dragon Chamber.


    Tan rubbed his chin when he heard Lilica¡¯s story.


    ¡°So you have a good intuition.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lilica nodded. Tan spoke, deep in thought.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call for the candidates to enter first.¡±


    He called for a page outside and whispered something. The page tilted his head and left.


    After a while, five knights rushed in and gave their greetings. Lilica examined the knights and whispered something in Atil¡¯s ear.


    Atil declared.


    ¡°Everyone other than the two at the end, get out.¡±


    A strange glint appeared in Tan¡¯s eyes. Atil chose the two that remained.


    ¡°You can work in shifts.¡±


    When the two men that were appointed as escort knights went out, Tan asked Lilica.


    ¡°Was eliminating the first three based on your intuition?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ah. I¡¯m not saying that they¡¯re bad people, but something¡­ well¡­¡­it was a bit.¡±


    Her warning bells didn¡¯t ring as loudly as it did for Lauv. Tan nodded at Lilica¡¯s words.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s over, right? I have work to do, so I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Atil rose from his seat. He pressed on Lilica¡¯s shoulders as she scrambled to get up, and told her not to get up, saying.


    ¡°You should eat slowly. Pi, Brann.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡±


    ¡°Princess, see you later.¡±


    After they left in a rush, Lilica looked at Brynn and asked.


    ¡°Will a pearl be enough?¡±


    ¡°Sir Lauv, I mean, he isn¡¯t a Sir anymore, is he? If Lauv says it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    High quality pearls were rare, and it¡¯s so rare that its price is determined by the type of merchant he goes to.


    In short, it was such a rare and expensive item that ¡®the best pearl: market price¡¯.


    Lilica felt relieved.


    ¡®Well, Lauv is the kind of person that would decline if he doesn¡¯t like it.¡¯


    When Lilica nodded, Tan approached, sat in a nearby chair and asked.


    ¡°But, Princess, is Lauv alright?¡±


    Lilica stole a glance at Brynn and shook her head.


    ¡°No, it was really bad. My back turned damp because it was dangerous¡­¡±


    Tan¡¯s expression turned solemn. So did Brynn¡¯s. Lilica waved her hand at the look on their faces.


    ¡°But it was because he said that he was going back to his hometown, and so it became better after I hired him.¡±


    Lilica looked earnestly at Tan with a worried look.


    ¡°Tan¡¯s hometown and Lauv¡¯s hometown are the same, right? Did something happen in your hometown?¡±


    ¡°No, the Wolfe fiefdom should be fine. Rather than that, oh, gosh.¡±


    He sighed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be entrusting that punk to the Princess. Please inform me if anything happens. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    Tan folded his chest to his knees.


    ¡°Thank you for hiring Lauv, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Mm, it¡¯s alright, Tan.¡±


    Puzzled, Lilica waved her hands. Brynn spoke with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ll really support her, won¡¯t you? Lord Commander.¡±


    Tan raised his head and responded seriously.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    Brynn grinned. The full support of the Knight Commander of the Imperial Guards wasn¡¯t something that anyone could gain.


    ¡®How wonderful.¡¯


    It¡¯s quite amazing to be serving a master that picks up connections like these as though they were shells.


    After receiving Tan¡¯s greeting, the two had a relaxed conversation while returning to White Dragon Chamber.


    Without knowing that they would face an unexpected challenge in order to hire Lauv.


    * * *


    Pi spoke bluntly to Atil.


    ¡°Why do you speak like that to the Princess?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    They were narrowing down the investigation area by sifting out reports on human trafficking from the pile of reports from the capital¡¯s public order.


    He hated paperwork, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Atil looked at Pi, who spoke after reaching the limits of his patience. Pi looked at Atil somberly.


    ¡°Why are you speaking so rigidly? It¡¯s not like you dislike her.¡±


    ¡°When did I?¡±


    ¡°You always do that. Brann, am I right?¡±


    Brann nodded at Pi¡¯s words. Pi waved Atil in Brann¡¯s direction with a pen.


    ¡°Today, you¡¯ve also said things like ¡®why are you following me like a maid today¡¯, and ¡®why can¡¯t you ride a horse¡¯, things that would hurt her in any case.¡±


    ¡°I did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    Atil became lost in thought at Pi¡¯s words and mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Both following me from behind, and not being able to ride a horse.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re saying that to hurt the princess, I won¡¯t say anything. But it wasn¡¯t like that either.¡±


    Pi narrowed his eyes slightly and said. He had a Sandar-like expression.


    ¡°Imagine, if the Princess spoke to Your Highness in the same manner. ¡®You¡¯re walking ahead like you¡¯ve become my master.¡¯¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Atil fell silent. Pi said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to speak amicably, but you just wanted to walk alongside Princess Lilica, right? Then let¡¯s walk side by side. You can just say it like this, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Did it upset her?¡±


    He didn¡¯t intend to hurt Lilica or her feelings.


    Atil¡¯s words caused Pi to smile and stroke his chin.


    ¡°The Princess has a magnanimous heart, so she¡¯ll let it slide, but she might be hurt someday. Please be a little more careful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll obviously try.¡±


    Even after he said that, Atil¡¯s brows was still furrowed


    His speed in looking through the documents also slowed down. Pi quickly came up with a plan to lighten his lord¡¯s mind.


    ¡°If it¡¯s still bothering you, why don¡¯t you give her a present?¡±


    ¡°A present?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a pony. Since she¡¯s young, I think it would be better for her to ride a pony in the Sun Palace¡¯s garden. Didn¡¯t you receive this as a gift a while back? A Haflinger.¡±


    When Atil thought about the elegant brown pony with a magnificent cream-coloured mane and tail, a faint smile appeared on Atil¡¯s mouth.


    If that¡¯s the case, Lilica would definitely like it.

 Chapter 20

    Lilica had a filling breakfast and her hair was done more carefully than usual.


    It was her first time meeting with an outsider, so Lilica memorised a few greetings.


    Lauv stood behind her like a shadow.


    As he wasn¡¯t an escort knight, he wasn¡¯t dressed in uniform, but light leather armour and carried a sword on his back.


    Lilica handed him a pearl, and Lauv pocketed it carefully.


    Fjord arrived on the dot between 3 to 5 in the afternoon, the commonly known tea time.


    He was dressed neatly, and wasn¡¯t as dishevelled as he was previously.


    But his glamourous looks that left Lilica stifled was still the same. She thought that those neat clothes emphasised his gorgeous looks even further.


    ¡°Fjord Barat greets Her Highness, Princess Lilica Nara Takar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Her greeting came out more cheerfully and in a higher voice than she¡¯d expected.


    Lilica extended her hand, and Fjord kissed the back of her hand.


    His golden eyes that were dyed with a reddish hue seemed too mild to be called ¡®honey colour¡¯.


    His gleaming silver hair gave off a sheen that¡¯s paler than the light of dawn.


    ¡®Ah, as expected.¡¯


    He was gorgeous, but had an extremely sharp edge. An extremely well-crafted, weapon-like beauty existed in him.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t just the curtsy from back then. Should she say that his movements were rather gentle? Should it be described as elegant?


    Lilica spoke admiringly.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the curtsy today.¡±


    Fjord grinned at the question, that wasn¡¯t sarcastic, but filled with innocence.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m giving my formal greetings. I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d actually invite me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for accepting my invitation.¡±


    After the greetings, Lilica offered him a seat. They sat at the prepared tea table and shared the tea and snacks.


    As the host, Lilica sampled the tea and snacks first, before tea time began in earnest.


    Fjord spotted Lauv, who was standing behind Lilica, and asked Lilica.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hire a knight?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lilica nodded. Fjord laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be gossip. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t Princess Lilica have a knight from the Imperial Guard as her escort? Is she being discriminated against because she¡¯s a foster daughter?¡¯, and things like that.¡±


    Lilica blinked.


    She looked down at the teacup, before glancing at Fjord.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not a Takar, does it?¡±


    No matter what others say behind their backs, a contract is a contract.


    It¡¯s clear that no one would be able to change the fact that she was a princess in these eight years.


    At Lilica¡¯s words, Fjord¡¯s reddish gold eyes gleamed joyfully.


    ¡°But of course.¡±


    Fjord felt better because she spoke in an arrogant tone that was much like Takar.


    Just like a dragon that soared freely through the sky that Barat cannot reach even with a hand outstretched.


    Amidst the struggle where Duke Barat says that they could also become dragons due to the mixed blood, someone without a drop of blood said that he was a ¡®Takar¡¯ proudly.


    If Duke Barat had heard Lilica¡¯s words, he would want to tear her apart and kill her.


    In a way, the person that was most obsessed with the Takars¡¯ legitimacy was Duke Barat.


    ¡°It¡¯s the buzz made by mosquitoes. It¡¯s nothing much to a dragon.¡±


    Lilica made a troubled expression as soon as Fjord finished speaking. She spoke quietly.


    ¡°No, mosquitoes are annoying, even to dragons. Very much so.¡±


    Weren¡¯t mosquitoes the ones that kept everyone awake during summer nights?


    After entering smoke kindled by dry grass, bodily fluids would flow out of your eyes and nose in an instant.


    But you¡¯d be willing to enter in order to avoid mosquitoes.


    A situation where you were woken up by a mosquito occurs more frequently than anxiety about the future.


    Fjord listened to Lilica¡¯s words and nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Mosquitoes are annoying indeed.


    Lilica smiled and said,


    ¡°And I¡¯m not well-informed about problems concerning the imperial family. I believe that His Majesty would take care of things.¡±


    After hinting about the world¡¯s greatest backer, Lilica placed a soft castella into her mouth.


    ¡®It¡¯s yummy.¡¯


    Apparently, a special kind of yeast, or something, was used to let it rise.


    With the empress¡¯ help, the chef was always able to bring out new snacks onto the princess¡¯ table.


    In the palace¡¯s high society, a person with high status would always be a leader in fashion. No matter what they did, eyes would be trained upon the imperial family and the high-ranking aristocrats.


    Therefore, the person that brought about new things and how popular those ¡®new things¡¯ became was also a measure of their influence on society.


    Because imitation was the purest form of praise.


    Little by little, Ludia unveiled new recipes, clothes, accessories, and makeup styles, and each of them invoked a great response.


    Lilica was outside of society, and thus was unaware of that great response, but she knew that her mom¡¯s chef would make desserts that were very delicious.


    Lilica offered Fjord the castella.


    ¡°This is a new snack made by Her Majesty the Empress, try it. It¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°I know. The rumour about castella has already spreaded. Our chef was also trying to recreate it, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be going well.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She didn¡¯t ask what was true. It was because everything he¡¯d said was the truth.


    Fjord was satisfied by the fluffiness and adequately sweet taste of the castella in his mouth.


    In the past, it was trendy to show off their wealth by using a lot of expensive sugar, and as such, foods that contained sugar were so sweet that it caused brain paralysis.


    However, the desserts recommended by Ludia weren¡¯t very sweet and sought to harmonise between the tea and various textures.


    The castella vanished in an instant, and the maid quickly presented him with a newly cut slice of castella.


    Fjord had a good appetite as expected of a boy of his age, and Lilica entertained him happily.


    She asked a few questions about the social world that she was curious about, and Fjord answered without concealing anything.


    Lilica couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised upon hearing stories about Her Majesty the Empress, that is, about her mother, over and over again.


    Fjord only told Lilica the stories that she had never heard.


    Her mother flattened the nose of a certain Marchioness of society, or that everyone was surprised to see new snacks at the tea salon.


    Even¡ª


    ¡°She¡¯d calmed down a startled horse?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Empress stopped the mare that Young Lady Erin of the Erin Barony rode on from going wild. Due to that, her fianc¨¦ expressed gratitude towards her several times for this.¡±


    Mother?


    A horse?


    ¡®No wonder she¡¯s different from the mother that I know of.¡¯


    Lilica had even wondered if they were the same person. Of course, her mother was the most beautiful and kindest person in the world, but. She¡¯d always thought to herself that she should protect her¡­


    Lilica pondered for a moment, and Fjord asked.


    ¡°Does the Princess not have a companion?¡±


    ¡°Brynn¡¯s my companion.¡±


    At Lilica¡¯s words, Fjord made a slight smile and shook his head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not referring to that, but a friend of the same age from an aristocratic family. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve heard any stories about high society, so it seems like you don¡¯t even have a companion.¡±


    He added profoundly.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s out of the friendship between families or as an aide, companions are always arranged for those in power for various reasons.¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    Lilica sighed.


    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m not powerful enough yet.¡±


    Since she was a ¡®new person in power¡¯ that has just gotten a taste of power, there weren¡¯t any arrangements for her.


    ¡®Come to think of it, Atil also has Pi. Is Pi Atil¡¯s companion?¡¯


    At Lilica¡¯s words, the corners of Fjord¡¯s mouth trembled slightly. He hurriedly took a sip of tea.


    In fact, Lilica was as popular of a conversational topic as the empress was in the imperial capital, but it¡¯s just that she didn¡¯t realise it.


    But for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel like letting her know about that at all.


    It would be great if this princess only knows him.


    Lilica felt regret. She also wished to have friends.


    Of course, she had Brynn, but Brynn maintained her position as a trusted lady-in-waiting and didn¡¯t play with her like friends do.


    ¡®A friend.¡¯


    It was hard working in the slums, so she didn¡¯t have time to make friends. Of course, if Lilica had tried to sell flowers or be a pickpocket, it would be easier to find colleagues.


    ¡®But I didn¡¯t want to give it up as it was a job she found after much difficulty.¡¯


    Lilica let out a sigh as she imagined what she¡¯d do with aristocratic friends when they gathered.


    ¡®For a companion to be arranged¡­ Will a day where that occurs ever come?¡¯


    ¡®No, let¡¯s not be disappointed! If I become an outstanding princess, there will be people that¡¯ll want to talk to me.¡¯


    She has yet to become an outstanding princess, so all she needed to do was try harder. Lilica stretched and spoke.


    Her frustration and determination were written all over her face, and Fjord resisted the urge to laugh again.


    Lilica looked at Fjord. A step towards becoming an outstanding princess.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time for you to teach me how to curtsy.¡±


    * * *


    Fjord dipped into a graceful curtsy.


    As she watched the light and beautiful curtsy that was like flowing water once again, Lilica began clapping unwittingly.


    ¡°How do I do it like that?¡±


    ¡°What do you think about when you¡¯re curtsying?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that I should bend my knees this much and straighten up? Or to rise slowly so that it¡¯ll look elegant¡­¡±


    ¡°Put those thoughts aside, and ¡®I¡¯m the world¡¯s most beautiful person¡¯. That¡¯s what you¡¯ll think.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Now, please follow me. I am the world¡¯s most beautiful person.¡±


    ¡°I, I am the world¡¯s most beautiful person.¡±


    ¡°Your voice sounds like you don¡¯t believe it at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean. Because it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    Lilica didn¡¯t have beautifully wavy blonde hair like her mother¡­


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    Fjord leaned over. He looked into her turquoise eyes and spoke softly.


    ¡°You are beautiful. Your walnut-coloured hair is like a tree nymph¡¯s, and your eyes are like Lake Rudin under the dazzling sunshine.¡±


    It was the first time she¡¯d ever heard such praise, causing Lilica¡¯s eyes to widen. Fjord smiled.


    ¡°You can be confident in yourself. Now, once more.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am the world¡¯s most beautiful person.¡±


    ¡°I, I am the world¡¯s most beautiful person.¡±


    For some reason, her face burned up. She never thought that she¡¯d say something like this in front of someone that¡¯s much prettier than her.


    ¡°Here, give it a try.¡±


    Lilica gave a curtsy at Fjord¡¯s words. Her movements were even stiffer, perhaps because she was embarrassed.


    Fjord asked with a tilt of his head.


    ¡°However, princess, you won¡¯t have many people to curtsy to anyways. Is there a reason why you have to learn curtsying like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I want to show it to those few people.¡±


    She wanted to show her mother, His Majesty, and Atil how outstanding she was.


    It¡¯s even better if she was complimented.


    Her mother will definitely be generous with her praise.


    Fjord looked at Lilica and said,


    ¡°They must already think that the Princess is beautiful. I mean¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it!¡±


    Lilica glanced back at Fjord.


    ¡°Something other than beautiful might work. Hm, I¡¯m the cutest and most lovely person in the world¡­!¡±


    Her face would also turn red at this, but isn¡¯t this what her mother would say everyday?


    Cute Lilica, my Lilica, the world¡¯s loveliest Lilica.


    She thought that it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult in front of someone that thought so.


    It¡¯s a little far from being beautiful, but Lilica thinks that she can do this.


    ¡®I¡¯m very cute, I¡¯m very cute, I¡¯m very cute. Hap!¡¯


    After repeating it to herself, Lilica curtsied.


    Fjord couldn¡¯t help but snicker at Lilica, who was brave and cute.


    Lilica looked back at him in bewilderment.


    ¡°Is it weird?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s.¡±


    Fjord smiled and fiddled with the red ribbon she wore around her neck gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you looked like a robin.¡±


    ¡°A robin?¡±


    She glanced at her ribbon and then at Fjord.


    ¡°Yes, a lovely robin princess.¡±


    He grinned.


    Since Lilica was praised, she wanted to praise him in return.


    After a long moment of contemplation, she said.


    ¡°Fjord is like silverware.¡±


    Fjord raised an eyebrow and laughed. He spoke.


    ¡°I really want to apply to be the Princess¡¯ companion.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    Brynn cut in a timely manner as Lilica just opened her mouth.


    ¡°The both of you must be tired, so please have a glass of cold juice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Brynn.¡±


    Two glasses of raspberry juice were prepared with plenty of sugar added.


    They definitely couldn¡¯t eat and drink while standing, so the two sat at a nearby table.


    The sweet and sour juice made her feel better quickly. She sighed.


    ¡°I guess I just can¡¯t do it like Fjord.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it alright? The Princess can do it in your own way.¡±


    Cute and lovely.


    Wasn¡¯t that enough?


    Just as Fjord thought so, the front door burst open.


    ¡°Lily, yesterday, I¡ª¡±


    Atil cleared his throat and was about to open his mouth, but stopped upon seeing the situation in the drawing room.


    His gaze was fixed on Fjord.


    Fjord rose slowly from his seat and gave his greetings.


    ¡°Fjord Barat greets the crown prince of the¡ª¡±


    Even before the word ¡®empire¡¯ was over, Atil ran up and grabbed him by the collar.


    Startled, Lilica jumped out of her seat.


    ¡°Atil!¡±


    Atil ignored her cries and growled.


    ¡°What are you doing here, you b*stard?¡±


    ¡°I was invited.


    ¡°Invited?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Atil. I invited him. So¡ª¡±


    Lilica, who suddenly didn¡¯t know what was the current situation, looked around uneasily.


    Pi, who¡¯d entered with Atil, also has a serious expression.


    ¡°Hah, how dare you seduce my younger sister? Isn¡¯t that so? Did you use your good looks and honeyed words to flirt with her?¡±


    Atil¡¯s words became rougher, and Fjord smiled.


    ¡°It was the princess that invited me.¡±


    Atil slapped him on his face as soon as he finished speaking.

 Chapter 21

    Lilica swallowed a scream. Screaming in this kind of situation would only cause it to worsen.


    What she had to do was act.


    Lauv came over and stopped her just as she was about to run over. Lilica turned her gaze away, and Lauv gave a slight shake of the head.


    Atil pulled him closer by the collar again and spoke lowly.


    ¡°Get lost, Barat¡¯s masterpiece. Before I find the urge to ascertain whether the rumour is true or not.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Fjord smiled briefly.


    ¡°Is that so? I also wonder if that rumour is true.¡±


    Reddish gold eyes stared straight into his eyes.


    ¡°Shall we find out?¡±


    Clatter clatter.


    Lilica¡¯s gaze turned towards the table inadvertently. The tableware placed on the table was trembling.


    It was the raspberry juice that remained in the glass that was shaking. The table wasn¡¯t moving.


    The tableware was shaking like it was responding to something.


    No.


    She didn¡¯t know what this was, but this can¡¯t continue. Lilica shook Lauv off, ran over and pulled on Atil with all her might.


    ¡°Stop it! This is a guest that I¡¯ve invited! I won¡¯t forgive anymore of your discourtesy!¡±


    She squeezed in between the two that were grabbing each other, and began to push them in both directions.


    Her struggling appearance caused Atil to let Fjord go, and they both retreated a few steps back. He looked like a fighting dog staring at his opponent.


    Lilica stood in front of Fjord and said,


    ¡°He¡¯s my guest. I said he¡¯s my guest.¡±


    Lilica stretched herself as much as she could.


    ¡°As such, I¡¯m fully responsible for Fjord¡¯s safety. Atil, please just leave.¡±


    ¡°What? Hey, what wrong with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince.¡±


    Brynn cut in then. Her dark purple eyes were chilly.


    ¡°This is the White Dragon Chamber, where the Princess resides. Please forgive my rudeness for cutting into the conversation between the high ones. However, I just can¡¯t stand any further disrespect towards the Princess.¡±


    At Brynn¡¯s words, Atil balled his hands into fists tightly and left after leaving a few words behind.


    ¡°If you like that punk so much, do as you please.¡±


    When Atil left the room abruptly, Pi greeted Lilica and left the room with him.


    The door slammed shut. Lilica turned to Fjord, trying not to show any signs of nervousness.


    ¡°Are you alright? I¡¯ll tell him to call a doctor right away.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing much. There¡¯s no need to call one for my sake.¡±


    Fjord said with a smile and asked Lilica.


    ¡°But is this alright? You¡¯ve just gotten to know the Crown Prince, and yet you¡¯ve made him an enemy because of me. Isn¡¯t he one of the few people that you want to show your curtsy to?¡±


    Lilica¡¯s shoulders flinched slightly, but she spoke resolutely.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t pretending to argue. Also, Atil was obviously in the wrong. Fjord is my guest.¡±


    Lilica shook her head.


    ¡°And what do you mean, this is nothing? It¡¯s not nothing. Sit down. If you don¡¯t like doctors, I¡¯ll apply some medicine on you.¡±


    At the commanding tone in her words, Fjord blinked and fiddled with his split lip.


    ¡°It¡¯s really alright. Princess. The injuries I¡¯ve gotten during sparring might be worse than these.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different from sparring.¡±


    Getting hit is both scary and painful.


    Violence makes people hesitant and incapable of thinking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I won¡¯t just let Fjord leave like this. Because I don¡¯t like it, even if you say that you¡¯re alright. Brynn, can you bring something that¡¯s easy to consume? Something sweet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Princess.¡±


    She was the highest authority in the White Dragon Chamber. With authority, it is always accompanied with responsibility. Lilica gripped her hand into a fist.


    ¡®I have to perform well from the get go.¡¯


    She seemed to be flustered as they were both men that were at least a head taller than her. Additionally,


    Lilica glanced back at Lauv sulkily. His gray eyes blinked once.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to talk to Lauv later.¡¯


    After a while, a maid brought over the medicine box and Lilica found the tweezers and cotton balls herself.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    While she was applying the ointment, Fjord¡¯s eyes were kept down meekly.


    When he stole an occasional glance at the princess¡¯ face, she was so engrossed in applying the medicine that she didn¡¯t even notice his gaze.


    ¡°All done.¡±


    Lilica returned the tweezers to the maid and dragged Fjord to the tea table that was newly set up.


    A cup of hot milk chocolate was present. It was also Lilica¡¯s favourite drink.


    ¡°Drink it and you¡¯ll feel calmer.¡±


    After saying that, Lilica drank the milk chocolate in front of her.


    The bittersweet taste of warm milk chocolate warmed her stomach.


    She also felt her tension gradually fade away. Although she knew that Atil was quite rough, she didn¡¯t expect him to swing his fist.


    When she thought about this, she remembered being hit in the past, and something within her shrunk.


    ¡®What should I say to Atil?¡¯


    Lilica agonised over it as she ate chocolate-dipped castella.


    After taking a big bite, she gained the confidence that it would somehow work out with Atil.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it yummy?¡±


    Fjord nodded at Lilica¡¯s question.


    All of this was novel to him. Now, the maids of his family would no longer ask if he¡¯s alright, even when he was punched.


    A certain something that stood out inside of him seemed to disappear.


    As he slowly drank the sweet chocolate, listened to a voice worrying over his well-being, and the careful touch of a hand that applied medicine.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    He pondered.


    It was a period of calm, as though a disturbance had never occurred before.


    Warm sunlight filled the drawing room, and a sweet scent emanated from the glass.


    Even the silverware seemed to gleam brilliantly. There was an atmosphere that made both the body and mind at ease.


    It must have been made by the master of the White Dragon Chamber, the princess.


    Fjord made a faint smile unknowingly. When he realised that he was smiling, he pressed on the corners of his lips lightly.


    His glass was quickly emptied.


    ¡°I¡¯d better get going now. Since His Highness, the Crown Prince, will only feel at ease when I leave. ¡°


    Lilica shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a problem between me and Atil. Fjord doesn¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°As a loyal subject, that shouldn¡¯t be the case. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve also crossed the line today. My sincere apologies, my princess.¡±


    Fjord apologised respectfully. Lilica shook her head.


    She should have responded properly from the beginning, when Atil grabbed him by the collar¡­


    Fjord once again said that he¡¯s alright, and asked.


    ¡°Although I should go back like this today.¡±


    He hesitated for a moment. There weren¡¯t many things worth hesitating over in his life, but this was worth hesitating over.


    As such, he knows that he could never come here again. He¡¯s aware.


    He looked back at Lilica. A pair of clear, transparent eyes looked back into his eyes.


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright, could you invite me again next time?¡±


    Although he thought that this was a mistake, he was unable to change his opinion. Fjord looked at Lilica.


    Lilica thought about Atil. She then looked back at Fjord, who¡¯s right in front of her. The appearance of his split lip made her sad.


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lilica nodded her head, and Fjord greeted her with a bow and a smile.


    ¡°Then, this lowly one will take his leave. I wish you peace, my robin princess.¡±


    After sending off Fjord, Lilica asked Brynn.


    ¡°Would Fjord be attacked by Atil on his way back?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry about that. Princess.¡±


    ¡°Why in the world are they on such bad terms? Did something happen between them?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be better if you heard it from the people involved. If it¡¯s the princess that¡¯s asking, both of them will surely give you an answer.¡±


    ¡°Hm, true. Alright.¡±


    Rather than listening to idle gossip, how about asking them directly?


    Lilica took a deep breath and turned her head around suddenly.


    ¡°Lauv, let¡¯s have a chat for a second.¡±


    Lilica took Lauv to the room adjacent to the drawing room and closed both of the doors.


    After Lilica pretended to put a hand on her waist in a talking pose, Lauv knelt on a knee and looked up at her.


    ¡°Why did you stop me?¡±


    ¡°Because I deemed that it was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop me from running over?¡±


    ¡°At that time, I thought that both of them would accept a compromise.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be alright if I stopped them from the very beginning?¡±


    ¡°I thought if the princess dissuaded them from the beginning, you¡¯d draw the fire towards yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    When Lilica asked with a tilted head, Lauv spoke slowly like he was wondering how to explain.


    ¡°His Highness likes the princess and thinks of you as someone on his side. If such a person sides with someone else, it¡¯ll make him angrier.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡±


    Lilica groaned with her arms folded. Lauv smiled faintly and continued to explain.


    ¡°But after a punch, the both of them would have been a little dazed internally. As they¡¯ve crossed the line slightly.¡±


    When a person is trying to dissuade another, it¡¯s best to do so when they¡¯ve stopped fighting.


    Lilica¡¯s shoulders drooped at Lauv¡¯s words. She lamented.


    ¡°But two people fought in the White Dragon Chamber. No matter what, I had to do something about it. Whether it draws the fire onto me or not. If I had cut in then, wouldn¡¯t Lauv have protected me? Or is it that Lauv can¡¯t because of the Crown Prince?¡±


    How would an outstanding princess have dealt with it? Lilica was completely lost.


    ¡°Of course, if the princess wanted to cut in there, I would have protected you. But there¡¯s a method that¡¯s clearer.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You can call for me.¡±


    Lilica looked at Lauv Wolfe. There was a faint heated gleam within his gray eyes.


    ¡°If you told me to clean up the situation, I would have done so. Whether it¡¯s by drawing my weapon or stepping in between the two.¡±


    ¡°Lauv is my escort. Can I still ask you to do something like that?¡±


    His face became clouded by the words that came out unknowingly.


    It seemed difficult for him to speak, but then he told her again.


    ¡°I am the princess¡¯s shield. But I want to be a sword, as well as a shield.¡±


    Can¡¯t I do so?


    Those words contained such a question. Lilica was quite surprised.


    She was a child, and people were used to talking carelessly in front of her.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone that held back what they wanted to say in front of Lilica.


    But Lauv was talking very cautiously. He wasn¡¯t requesting this arbitrarily because she was an eight-year-old.


    Lilica glanced down at her hand.


    A small palm.


    She¡¯d always wished that she could grow up soon.


    That way, she can do more things, earn more money, and be able to protect her mother better.


    To grow up quickly and do the things that she couldn¡¯t do now. To be wiser in thought and better in judgement.


    ¡®But an outstanding princess might not be someone that does everything herself.¡¯


    If her opponent was Brynn, she wouldn¡¯t have met her alone and questioned her like this.


    She would just be curious and ask, ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    Perhaps it was because Lilica herself didn¡¯t trust Lauv completely?


    Just because she brought him over due to that ominous premonition that she had¡ªshe bore the feeling of putting out the pressing fire, but maybe she didn¡¯t really think of him as her escort.


    Was that what Lauv found difficult?


    ¡®How does a high-ranking person compliment others?¡¯


    Lilica pondered. When His Majesty or His Highness were praising her, how did they do it?


    ¡®Head pats.¡¯


    Lilica reached out a small hand and began to pat Lauv¡¯s head gently.


    The wolf flinched and stole a glance at the young princess. Lilica made eye contact with him and smiled.


    ¡°Alright. Then from now on, I will regard Lauv as my shield and sword. I¡¯ll definitely call for you if something difficult happens.¡±


    It was her first time gently stroking an adult man¡¯s head, but his hair was surprisingly soft, and she felt very pleasant.


    She could see why His Majesty or Atil likes to stroke her head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll respond with all my might.¡±


    Lauv replied and bowed deeply. After Lilica thought she had patted his head moderately, she removed her hand.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in your care, Lauv.¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±


    With a light heart, Lilica came out to the drawing room. She also felt like her relationship with Lauv has risen up a level.


    But there was someone unexpected waiting in the drawing room.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    Lilica ran over happily with a big smile. Ludia forced a smile and put her arms around Lilica, who was hugging her wide skirts.


    Ludia held her tightly and looked up at Lauv.


    Her dark blue eyes were like a dagger. Lauv bowed his head, like he knew why had the Empress come here.


    Nervousness ran through his body.


    Ludia moved her gaze from him to look down at Lilica. Her face relaxed unknowingly.


    ¡°The meeting with Fjord was today, wasn¡¯t it? How was it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, he managed to teach me the curtsy.¡±


    She hid the story of fighting with Atil without her realisation.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t what Ludia came here for today, so she moved on without noticing her daughter¡¯s strange behaviour.


    Ludia quickly got to the point.


    ¡°Lily, sit down for a while. I need to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please go ahead.¡±


    Lilica said as she quickly sat on the sofa, and Ludia said lightly as if it were nothing.


    ¡°About your new escort, Mom wants to change it to someone that¡¯s to my liking. That¡¯s fine, right?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Normally, Lilica would have agreed to it easily. But that didn¡¯t happen now.


    Lilica¡¯s expression darkened. Ludia said.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Mom wants to pick one. Well?¡±


    Lilica¡¯s gaze dropped down to her knees and raised up again.


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ want Lauv to continue escorting me.¡±


    It was a tactful refusal. Ludia was rather surprised. Her daughter had always been a good girl that listened to her mother¡¯s words and said ¡®Yes¡¯.


    ¡®But that guy¡­!¡¯


    Ludia glared at Lauv, who was retreating to a distance away.


    ¡®He will become abnormal in a year.¡¯


    After being kicked out of the Knights of the Imperial Guard, he lost his rationality a year later and became the target of the Wolfe family¡¯s subjugation.


    At that time, she¡¯d suddenly heard about this story because she had just become the Barat family¡¯s informant.


    It¡¯s because there was nothing more enjoyable than news that chewed up the Wolfe family, a close aide to the imperial family.


    Because of that, Tan Wolfe stepped down from his position of Knight Commander.


    As such, Ludia rushed over as soon as she heard that Lilica appointed Lauv Wolfe as her escort.


    ¡®But how can she say she doesn¡¯t want to?¡¯


    Ludia held Lilica¡¯s hand tightly and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s because Mom is worried about Lily. That person isn¡¯t even a knight. Why must it be him, when there are so many excellent knights? Hm? Listen to Mom¡¯s.¡±


    It¡¯s all for your sake.


    Lilica looked at Lauv, and then looked at her mother again.


    ¡°I understand what Mother is saying. But I believe in Lauv.¡±


    ¡°Which part are you looking at?¡±


    Ludia felt quite frustrated. She didn¡¯t understand why Lilica was being so stubborn all of a sudden.


    When did she develop such a bad habit?


    ¡°I like Lauv.¡±


    ¡°No. Mom doesn¡¯t. Change it to someone else.¡±


    Ludia rose from her seat. It was hard for her to hold back her anger.


    ¡°Mom will take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t do this. Alright?


    Lilica stood up and grabbed onto her skirt. Ludia spoke decisively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like a Lily that doesn¡¯t listen to Mom¡¯s words.¡±


    Astonished, Lilica¡¯s grip on Ludia¡¯s skirt loosened and she gripped the hem of her own skirt with both of her hands. Ludia was currently hoping that Lily would surrender on her own.


    ¡®I¡¯ve worked so hard for your sake¡­¡¯


    Surprised, Lilica flinched and her knuckles turned white from gripping the hem of her skirt. Tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°I, I¡­.¡±


    Ludia had a stern look on her face.


    ¡®Momentarily suffering now is better than regretting it later on.¡¯


    At this moment, Brynn approached Lilica and knelt down next to her, holding her tightly balled fists.


    She bowed her head.


    ¡°My deepest apologies, Your Majesty the Empress, but why don¡¯t you at least listen to the Princess¡¯ reason for doing this?¡±


    She detected Lilica¡¯s face loosening in an instant. Her daughter¡¯s small hand held Brynn¡¯s tightly.


    Ludia was well aware.


    That her daughter doesn¡¯t trust her. All she had to do was take the time to build it up. That¡¯s what she thought, but seeing her rely on someone else more than her was a little¡­


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to.¡¯


    I don¡¯t want to.


    I don¡¯t want to?


    Ludia suddenly felt like she¡¯d come to her senses.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t that a completely selfish notion?¡¯


    Ludia recalled her thoughts.


    ¡®It¡¯s all for your sake. It¡¯s better to suffer now.¡¯


    She also said that in the past, before she returned. She thought that her ideas were right and ignored Lilica¡¯s opinions, regarding her desperate attempts to explain as mere trifles.


    ¡®Oh, my God.¡¯


    Ludia felt the blood in her toes being sucked away at once. Her fingertips turned cold.


    ¡®Saying ¡®I love you¡¯, and just feeding her delicious food and dressing her in fine clothes. That¡¯s not all that¡¯s needed.¡¯


    When Ludia felt like her behaviour hadn¡¯t changed much, she felt like someone had hit her on the head with a hammer.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    Ludia suddenly came to her senses when Brynn noticed her odd countenance and called her.


    Ludia felt like crying.


    She took a deep breath and said.


    ¡°Lily, can we talk alone for a while?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Her heart ached at the sight of her daughter responding hesitatingly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t force you to give up on Lauv.¡±


    It was extremely hard to do so, but after Ludia said that, the expression on Lilica¡¯s face improved.


    They went to the other room just like before and closed the door, and Ludia knelt down in front of her daughter and hugged her.


    ¡°M¡ªMother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lily. Mom made a mistake again. Why do I keep making mistakes? I want to become a great mother, too.¡±


    Tears flowed out. She didn¡¯t even know if something like this should be said in front of a child.


    She wanted to be a great mother, but what should she do?


    ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t hate Lily. Mom will still love Lily, even if you go to a far away place because you hate Mom. What I said earlier was a mistake. I¡¯ll still love a Lily that doesn¡¯t listen to Mom¡¯s words too.¡±


    Tears began welling up in Lilica¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for being born as Mom¡¯s daughter. Even if Lily creates trouble, falls ill, or gets into trouble. Even so, thank you.¡±


    What she wanted wasn¡¯t an obedient daughter that listened to her, but for Lilica to be happy.


    Ludia chose her words with difficulty. She was worried about whether it was being conveyed properly, but small arms circled around her.


    ¡°I love you too, Mom.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Those words gave her such a thrill of excitement.


    Ludia smiled happily and hugged her daughter tightly. And let out a long exhale, one, two, three.


    ¡°Mom was mistaken earlier. I should have listened to why Lily wanted Lauv to be her escort. Can you tell Mom why?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡±


    Lilica was worried that her reasons might be ridiculed. When she was talking to Atil, she could proudly say, ¡°I have a good intuition,¡± but telling her mother was different.


    Lilica began to explain herself cautiously. Her mother listened to the story seriously without any signs of ridicule or surprise.


    Thanks to that, Lilica was able to confess everything, and her mother had a thoughtful expression as she said ,¡±I see.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing that I can do. Let¡¯s just do as Lily wants.¡±


    With her mother¡¯s permission, a bright expression appeared on Lilica¡¯s face as she hugged her mother again.


    She didn¡¯t know that acceptance of her choice would give her so much stability.


    ¡°Thank you, Mother!¡±


    ¡°No, Mom is also reflecting in various ways. I¡¯m sorry, Lily.¡±


    After kissing her forehead and patting her daughter¡¯s head, Ludia stood up.


    ¡°Then, Lilica will inform Lauv about that. It¡¯s probably better than Mom doing so.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At Lilica¡¯s answer, Ludia smiled and said,


    ¡°Come to think of it, Lily, don¡¯t you need friends?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a friend.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it would be nice to have one.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ludia nodded. Now, she intended to go straight to negotiate with Tan Wolfe and the head of the Wolfe family.


    ¡®Tan Wolfe, how dare you dump that kind of wolf on my daughter?¡¯


    Did Lauv become abnormal because he returned back home? Is that why Lily¡¯s intuition sounded the warning bells?


    ¡®But just leaving it be isn¡¯t reassuring.¡¯


    In that case, she should ask for something in return to even out the scales.


    When Ludia opened the door and went out, she spotted Brynn. She said to Brynn.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that Lily has you.¡±


    Brynn spotted Lilica¡¯s bright expression and knew that their conversation had ended well. She raised the hem of her skirt lightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m honoured.¡±


    ¡°I owe you for today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to serve the Princess.¡±


    At the words that were filled with loyalty, Ludia chuckled, hugged her daughter once more, and left the White Dragon Chamber.


    After seeing her mother off, Lilica ran over to Lauv and hugged him without hesitation.


    Lauv stiffened up in surprise. Lilica raised her head and shouted.


    ¡°You can remain as my escort! Thank goodness, Lauv!¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect this princess to successfully persuade the empress. In fact, he¡¯d given up to a certain extent.


    I was protected.


    The relief that he was protected by his superior has spreaded deeply. Wolfe are people that require a sense of security.


    ¡°Thank you, my princess.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! And Brynn!¡±


    Brynn smiled and caught Lilica, who ran over quickly and flung her arms around her apron.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯d only mustered up the courage because Brynn encouraged me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for that reason.¡±


    ¡°But I should still be thankful.¡±


    Lilica smiled. Her turquoise eyes sparkled. There were still tear stains on her cheeks, and Brynn helped her wipe her cheeks.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things to do today.¡±


    At Brynn¡¯s words, Lilica¡¯s shoulders drooped as she said, ¡°Indeed.¡± She should go find Atil now, but she was tired and didn¡¯t feel like going.


    Wouldn¡¯t a day or so be fine?


    As a form of protest, since she¡¯s angry.


    ¡®If I moved my body, my head would become much lighter.¡¯


    Lilica spoke to Brynn.


    ¡°Brynn, I¡¯m thinking of going to the garden.¡±


    ¡°The secret garden?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want to move. I also have to go get the herbs.¡±


    ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll ask for a simple snack to be packed in a basket.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    She perked up again at the thought of a basket filled with food.


    After pulling out the weeds from the garden, she stuffed herself full with a hearty meal.


    Lauv placed a rock underneath the rickety outdoor table. The chair was also rather high for her, but Lilica liked it because she could swing her feet back and forth in the air.


    Brynn and Lauv also joined in the conversation, and after Lilica ate finished, she harvested a lot of herbs and returned back with them.


    ¡®Put herbs in a glass bottle¡­¡¯


    At night, Brynn helped her make magical gold coins. Lilica placed the glass bottle by the moonlit window and clasped her hands together.


    ¡°Fairy, fairy, please lend me your strength. Please protect the people that I love.¡±


    When she opened her eyes, she saw the gold coins shining. She almost let out an exclamation, but Lilica held it in because she was afraid that the fairy would be startled and run away.


    Instead, she carefully moved away from the window and got into bed.


    She had a happy dream where she was dancing with moonlight fairies.


    * * *


    Altheos entered the bedroom, and found Ludia sitting on the bed with tears streaming down her face.


    He stopped at the doorway, before walking inside and asking.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who bullied you?¡±


    But who would cry about being bullied? This woman?


    She wouldn¡¯t come back crying and cling to it, but rip apart her handkerchief and vow to get revenge, and Altheos liked that aspect of her.


    It¡¯s good to ask for your cooperation for that.


    ¡°L, Lilicaa, hngh, hic.¡±


    As soon as Ludia mentioned her daughter¡¯s name, she burst into tears again, so she took out a handkerchief, wiped her face, and blew her nose. She breathed out, ¡°Huu¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying my best to make Lily happy, but it isn¡¯t working out well. I also got mad at Lily today. But as I was lying in bed, I thought about it.¡±


    Why did she get angry?


    Was it because Lilica didn¡¯t listen? Was not listening to her words something to be angry about?


    Why would she get angry if Lilica didn¡¯t listen? It¡¯s not like she gave birth to Lilica for her to obey her orders.


    ¡°I was scared.¡±


    Ludia was afraid Lilica would get hurt because she didn¡¯t do as Ludia said. She was afraid that Lauv would hurt Lily.


    ¡°But getting angry at the other person out of fear. Isn¡¯t it very weird?¡±


    Altheos sat next to her. He¡¯d heard that Ludia had a meeting with Tan alone today, and intended to ask her about it, but he¡¯ll have to do that another day.


    He brushed that soft gold hair behind her ear and said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t humans often do that?¡±


    ¡°Often do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Getting angry out of fear, getting angry out of sadness, getting angry out of disgust. There are very few people that are able to understand their own feelings.¡±


    In order to comfort her, he added.


    ¡°Also, it isn¡¯t a bad thing to be angry when you¡¯re afraid, as you can deal with enemies, right?¡±


    Ludia snorted.


    ¡°Lily is not an enemy. Additionally, if you act like that, the opponents that aren¡¯t enemies will turn into an enemy.¡±


    Furthermore, her opponent was her gentle and lovely Lilica.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that. I don¡¯t want to end up startling or hurting Lily because I got angry due to my feelings.¡±


    She sighed again.


    ¡°I think I don¡¯t know my daughter well enough. I didn¡¯t know that the parasol I¡¯d given was too heavy, and that she wasn¡¯t able to carry it around.¡±


    She bit on her lip and turned to Altheos, saying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to raise a child like you do.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Altheos raised an eyebrow. Ludia wasn¡¯t the slightest bit scared by his expression and chattered on.


    ¡°I can tell just by looking at how you raised Atil. My daughter was originally cute, but I still want to raise her properly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought this previously and now, but you¡¯re rather fearless.¡±


    Altheos¡¯s knuckle touched her cheek and trailed down the nape of her neck. His fingertip brushed against her collarbone lightly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to be scared.¡±


    Ludia answered proudly. Those words made Altheos feel strange.


    In her eyes, what kind of person is ¡®someone that she has no reason to be scared of¡¯?


    ¡°I heard that you met with Tan alone today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, because of Lily¡¯s escort. It¡¯s about Lauv. Wasn¡¯t he being too much to leave a lone wolf to Lily? I couldn¡¯t be at ease, so I asked him to send Diare as Lilica¡¯s companion.¡±


    ¡°Diare? Diare Wolfe?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Altheos chuckled.


    ¡°You said that you don¡¯t like lone wolves, but you¡¯re bringing Diare Wolfe as a companion. I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re being magnanimous or not. Your daughter, who accepts all of this, is quite tolerant.¡±


    ¡°My daughter is the world¡¯s finest and loveliest.¡±


    Ludia reached out and pulled on the front of his shirt.


    Their faces drew close to each other, so close that it was as if they were about to kiss each other. Ludia whispered.


    ¡°As such, I will do anything for my daughter. Anything.¡±


    Altheos¡¯ blue eyes, which were completely different from Ludia¡¯s, narrowed. Unlike his sharp eyes, his voice was quite gentle.


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    * * *


    In the darkness, Tan Wolfe looked up at the moon. Perhaps because their ancestors were wolves, no, he¡ªTan would always try to recognise himself as an object and not as a member of the crowd¡ªwas always attracted to the moon.


    When it was the full moon, he wanted to sprint through the forest.


    It was why they left the estate¡¯s vast forest uncultivated. To the Wolfe family, the deep and dark forest in the north was the best place.


    Wolves live in packs, and the Wolfes also formed a large family that was constantly crowded.


    However, there were some that often stand out heterogeneously, because the blood of their ancestors were either too strong or too shallow.


    They weren¡¯t able to adapt to the crowd and would hover around as outsiders, before disappearing.


    Lauv was such a person, so Tan was quite worried, but he didn¡¯t expect for Lauv to become the princess¡¯ subordinate.


    ¡®I hope that he¡¯ll adjust properly in a new group.¡¯


    He scratched his cheek.


    The princess immediately reminded him of Ludia. Tan felt bewildered when Altheos first said he was getting married, but now, he seems to understand the reason.


    ¡®It¡¯s my first time getting grabbed by my collar.¡¯


    He liked the growling eyes that said she¡¯d kill him if anything happened to her daughter.


    ¡®But I didn¡¯t expect her to request for Diare to be sent as a companion.¡¯


    Was it a good thing, or was it a bad thing?


    Although he had no choice.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡¯


    As he thought that, he closed his eyes. Gold hair like the moon surfaced in his mind and quickly disappeared.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Lilica got up a little later than usual. Perhaps it¡¯s because of that that the fatigue from yesterday had completely disappeared.


    Rather than that, her attention was attracted to a different thought first.


    ¡°Gold coins!¡±


    She jumped out of bed and dashed towards the glass bottle that¡¯s by the window.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The gold coins glistened. Of course, it was underneath the sunlight, so it was natural for them to glisten.


    However, they seemed to have more lustre than ordinary gold coins.


    She reached into the glass bottle carefully and took out the gold coins. A dragon was embossed onto the gold coins.


    Even if she touched it carefully, the coins¡¯ lustre didn¡¯t vanish at all.


    ¡®As expected, magic is very impressive.¡¯


    Although Lilica knew that there were wizards that blew out fire from their mouths or made coins appear from the back of their ears, she¡¯d never actually seen them.


    She only heard the kids talking about it. But, to think that she was learning magic like this.


    Lilica couldn¡¯t wait to show them to Brynn.


    ¡°Brynn, Brynn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my princess. Oh my, you¡¯re still in your nightgown.¡±


    With a smile, she quickly wrapped a triangular shawl around Lilica¡¯s shoulders. Lilica disregarded that and extended her hands.


    ¡°Look at this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the gold coins. Hmm?¡±


    The gold coins immediately caught the gaze of Brynn, who liked things that sparkled. She¡¯d seen enough of ordinary gold coins, but this gold coin was different.


    It was even more lustrous.


    ¡°This gold coin has a really beautiful sheen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the moonlight fairy shared its strength.¡±


    At Lilica¡¯s whisper, Brynn replied, ¡°I see,¡± but she was unable to take her gaze off the gold coin.


    Lilica giggled.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ll make one for Brynn, too.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Her purple eyes sparkled as she looked at Lilica.


    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯d intended to make one for Brynn from the very beginning. All that¡¯s left to be done is to wrap this gold coin in a white handkerchief and it¡¯s finished.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s done, it will fall out too easily, so let¡¯s place the gold coins into a handkerchief that¡¯s folded into a square and seal the entrance.¡±


    ¡°That would be great.¡±


    Lilica wanted to finish quickly, but Brynn said that breakfast came first.


    After a quick breakfast, she received a soft linen handkerchief.


    With a horizontal fold and a vertical fold, the handkerchief was folded neatly into a square shape, and the edges were sewn shut with blue thread after gold coins were placed within.


    Under Brynn¡¯s guidance, Lilica carefully sewed the edge of the handkerchief with her small hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s neat and pretty. The gold coins definitely won¡¯t drop out.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilica looked at the talisman quietly.


    ¡®I hope that this can protect Atil.¡¯


    She prayed from the bottom of her heart.


    Brynn cleared her throat lightly and said softly.


    ¡°By the way, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Can you give me a silver coin, instead of a gold coin?¡±


    ¡°Silver coin?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I prefer silver coins to gold coins.¡±


    ¡°Really? Hmm¡­¡­ Will the moonlight fairy like it?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s an amiable fairy, it will definitely help you, even if it¡¯s a silver coin. Also, isn¡¯t the moon at dawn silver in colour?¡±


    Lilica nodded at Brynn¡¯s desperate words. Those words made a lot of sense.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind making a gold coin for Brynn. Then I¡¯ll try a silver coin for now.¡±


    ¡°Not just any silver coin, but this.¡±


    Brynn quickly took out a newly minted silver coin. The new silver coin shone without a speck of dust.


    The silver coins bear the side profile of a person¡­


    ¡°Is this Mother?¡±


    Lilica asked, surprised, and Brynn smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty? The empress¡¯ side profile is supposed to be embossed on silver coins each time. The silver coin of this round turned out to be rather pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really pretty.¡±


    Her wavy hair was delicately crafted and turned out beautifully. Brynn grinned.


    ¡°Do you want me to bring you one, too?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. I¡¯ll bring you a freshly minted silver coin. The silver coins that had just come out of the mould are so pretty.¡±


    After making a raptured expression, Brynn quickly fixed her expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find a pretty one for you.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lilica smiled and nodded. She fiddled with the amulet and said.


    ¡°Atil, is he still mad?¡±


    ¡°Even if he¡¯s angry, he¡¯ll be mollified after seeing the talisman.¡±


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case.¡±


    Lilica got up from her seat.


    Just then, a maid approached cautiously and said.


    ¡°His Highness the Crown Prince has sent an attendant over.¡±


    ¡°Let him enter.¡±


    Atil? An attendant?


    What¡¯s going on?


    Brann came in as Lilica tilted her head. Lilica stood up and welcomed him.


    ¡°Brann!¡±


    ¡°Good morning, my princess.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He smiled at Lilica¡¯s question and said.


    ¡°Your Highness the Crown Prince has invited you to the stables.¡±


    ¡°Stables?¡±


    Why was he suddenly talking about the stables?


    Brann whispered softly as Lilica tilted her head.


    ¡°His Highness is reflecting on himself for the events that happened yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Atil?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t even imagine a reflecting Atil. But she soon nodded her head and indicated her acceptance.


    Didn¡¯t she have something to pass to him anyways?


    ¡°Alright. When?¡±


    ¡°Right now.¡±


    Lilica laughed when he added with a troubled expression.


    ¡°As expected of Atil.¡±


    ¡°Also, please change into comfortable clothes.¡±


    Brynn seemed to have noticed something and spoke while smiling.


    ¡°Alright. Please come here, princess.¡±


    After a while, Lilica, dressed in a fairly decent riding suit, smiled and chattered excitedly while internally thinking, ¡®Don¡¯t tell me.¡¯


    ¡°Is Atil going to make me ride a horse? What is he thinking? It¡¯s my first time riding a horse.¡±


    ¡°Please look forward to it.¡±


    As Brann answered with a gentle smile, Lilica¡¯s expectations swelled even further.


    Perhaps I¡¯ll be riding a horse by myself. Isn¡¯t that a little scary?


    No. Someone would be holding the reins and leading it?


    The stable was quite a distance away from the Sun Palace.


    When she approached, she could see why it was built far away, because it smelled like animals and fresh hay.


    Atil, who was also dressed in horseback riding clothes, stood at the entrance to the stable.


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    After running over, Lilica paused. Perhaps his anger wasn¡¯t completely mollified yet.


    When she looked up at him with a tilted head, Atil was silent. Pi, who stood next to him, jabbed him in the ribs.


    ¡°Oh, come on.¡±


    Atil got angry with him and let out a deep sigh. He looked away and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday.¡±


    Astonished, Lilica¡¯s eyes widened and she smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already forgiven you. But thank you for apologising.¡±


    Atil looked at Lilica in surprise. Pi also let out an exclamation ¡®Oh,¡¯ and Brynn nodded.


    It¡¯s not the same as ¡®It¡¯s alright¡¯, or ¡®Not at all¡¯.


    Yes, your actions were rather rude. But I¡¯ll forgive you. And I still like you.


    That¡¯s what Lilica was saying. She quickly took the talisman out of her pocket.


    ¡°Also, this is a gift.¡±


    ¡°Gift?¡±


    When Pi craned his neck and crept closer, Atil turned around.


    ¡°Can I open it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a talisman that¡¯ll protect you. I¡¯ve worked hard to make it, so please keep it on you at all times.¡±


    ¡°Talisman?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a protective talisman for someone that you love.¡±


    Atil¡¯s brows narrowed at Lilica¡¯s words, and his lips became tightly pursed.


    ¡®Are you angry¡­?¡¯


    As she was flustered, he shoved the talisman deep into his pocket and said.


    ¡°Hmph, is there a need for that?¡±


    ¡®Ah!¡¯


    Only then did Lilica realise that that look was him holding back his embarrassment or laughter.


    ¡®He can just smile though.¡¯


    Lilica smiled and clung to him, speaking playfully.


    ¡°I¡¯d worked hard to make it, but if you don¡¯t need it, please give it back to me.¡±


    When Atil saw his sister talking with a smile, he replied.


    ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve worked hard to make this. I¡¯ll accept it on the account of your sincerity.¡±


    Lilica didn¡¯t tease him any further, but stood beside him with a wide smile. Atil grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve received a present, shouldn¡¯t I give you a present in return?¡±


    He whistled and a pony was quickly led out from within the stables.


    Lilica¡¯s eyes grew huge.


    It was a beautiful brown pony.


    It had a velvety and lustrous coat and a very bright cream coloured mane. It looked like platinum blonde from certain angles.


    There was a small star-shaped dot on its forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±


    Atil looked at Lilica¡¯s face and his expression turned triumphant.


    ¡°M, mine?¡±


    As Lilica stammered back, Atil nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give it a name?¡±


    Pi suggested from the side.


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    Lilica extended a hand out slowly. Unlike the other large horses, a pony wasn¡¯t threatening.


    When her hand became outstretched, the horse examined her hand with its snout, like it was checking to see if she was holding anything in her hand.


    It then snorted.


    Lilica smiled broadly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Saebyeol. Because it has a star on its forehead.¡±


    [T/N: The name is in korean and translates to new star, and I¡¯ve opted to keep it korean.]


    ¡°Saebyeol. That¡¯s nice. I think it¡¯s a name that will remain in the century.¡±


    Pi said with a grin. Atil covered his mouth and spoke to Lilica.


    ¡°Now, ride on it.¡±


    ¡°Ride?¡±


    How was she going to ride on it?


    Even if Saebyeol was a pony, it was bigger than Lilica. She just couldn¡¯t climb up.


    ¡°Like this.¡±


    Atil lifted her up and settled her on the saddle gently.


    Lilica didn¡¯t even have the time to be surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto it, so place your feet into the stirrups. Yes.¡±


    He also personally adjusted the length of the stirrups.


    ¡°Well, then, what should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever bend down and keep your back straight. Use strength in the feet that¡¯s inside the stirrups.¡±


    While Atil explained, he smacked the horse¡¯s rear gently.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand after riding it.¡±


    ¡°Kyaahh!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    On the lightly running horse, Lilica desperately tried to straighten her back.


    ¡®I, I, It¡ªit¡¯s shaking so much.¡±


    Were horses creatures that swayed so much?


    Then, the horse stopped. Lilica let out an exhale.


    Before she knew it, Lauv was standing beside her with the reins in hand.


    ¡°L, Lauv.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lilica nodded. She smiled.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t scared, but it shook so much that it was hard to keep my back straight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve kept it quite straight.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lauv replied with a faint smile. Afterwards, everyone in the group began speaking one by one.


    ¡°Well, you rode it well enough.¡±


    ¡°Atil, please.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look like a beginner when you were riding, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I was worried about what if you fell?¡±


    Under Lauv¡¯s guidance, Lilica diligently learnt how to ride. Afterwards, she wanted to speed up a little more.


    When Lauv let the horse go faster, Lilica again held onto the horse¡¯s swaying body.


    Lilica¡¯s face turned as red as an apple after doing that a few times, and she was drenched in sweat.


    Brynn dissuaded Lilica.


    ¡°If you suddenly overdo it like this, you won¡¯t be able to move tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can ride as much as you want in the future, so shall we halt for today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it must be hard for Saebyeol.¡±


    Lauv helped Lilica off. Lilica decided to make something like a stool next time.


    ¡°M¡ªmy legs are shaking.¡±


    Once she came down to the ground, her knees couldn¡¯t help but buckle, and Lilica was surprised.


    Brynn laughed.


    ¡°Look at that. It¡¯ll get better with a little rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared something simple to eat and drink at a slight distance away. Let¡¯s head there.¡±


    Brann spoke warmly. Lilica let out an interjection, ¡®As expected of the model of a competent servant.¡¯


    The servants brought chairs, tables, and a parasol, creating a simple diner.


    Perhaps because she was thirsty, she kept drinking cold lemonade.


    Why was it so cold during summer?


    ¡°There¡¯s an ice storage house.¡±


    ¡°Ice storage house?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s explore that place together next time. It¡¯s very cool inside.¡±


    Lilica nodded at Brynn¡¯s words. There was always something exciting about the word ¡®explore¡¯.


    After drinking cold beverages until she became tired of it, Lilica ended up with an upset stomach that evening.


    Brynn was rather surprised when the doctor diagnosed that, ¡°It¡¯s because too much cold beverages was ingested.¡±


    ¡°Its because of the cold beverages?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Most children would get an upset stomach if they drink too many cold beverages on a hot day.¡±


    The doctor informed Brynn amicably. At the unexpected information, Brynn¡¯s face turned serious.


    Although she¡¯d told Lilica that the bluebloods were oddly sturdy, her mistake of not knowing Lilica well enough was painful.


    ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    Warm her stomach and drink warm ginger tea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make some medicine for her.¡±


    Brynn nodded and moved diligently.


    She made a lot of warm ginger tea and made a warming pouch out of fried oats.


    Brynn placed it on Lilica¡¯s stomach and asked.


    ¡°Is it heavy? Is it too hot?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡±


    Lilica answered with a groan. Her stomach kept hurting even though she went in and out of the bathroom.


    After hearing the news, Ludia came running at once. She was dressed fancily, perhaps because she was in the middle of a salon meeting.


    ¡°Lily.¡±


    ¡°Motherrr¡­¡±


    It hurt so much that she couldn¡¯t help but speak weakly. Ludia quickly climbed onto the bed without caring much about her clothes.


    ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    When Lilica was held in Ludia¡¯s arms, she detected a faint smell of powder and her mother¡¯s scent.


    Ludia placed her hand on the pouch of oats to warm it up, and began rubbing Lilica¡¯s stomach.


    Rub, rub.


    Strangely, the pain gradually began to subside while her palm rubbed on Lilica¡¯s stomach.


    Ludia said quietly.


    ¡°Mom will stay with you, so take a nap.¡±


    She gently rubbed her belly and hummed a lullaby.


    As she inhaled her mother¡¯s scent, Lilica slowly fell asleep.


    * * *

 Chapter 24

    Brann found Brynn carrying a bunch of scrolls and books. A letter fell from the pile of papers she was holding.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Before the letter could reach the ground, Brann picked it up and put it back in place.


    There weren¡¯t words like ¡®Do you need help?¡¯.


    It was because he knew from countless experiences that doing that was useless.


    ¡°What documents are those?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s data on how to raise an ordinary child. I will never let the princess fall ill ever again.¡±


    A gleam was present within Brynn¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I asked old women or nannies that were reputed for raising children to gather and talk about childcare, and then write down the common denominator and send it over.¡±


    Brann recalled the power of the Sol family that was mobilised.


    The old women that were called into the castle probably made it rather crowded.


    And what Brynn was holding was data that was prepared by screening in that manner.


    ¡°Is there a need to do this much?¡±


    Brynn snorted at Brann¡¯s words and replied.


    ¡°What if a child falls from a tree?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on them. If I try to catch them, I¡¯ll break my arm. It¡¯s because Takar children are heavier than other children and have stronger bones. They wouldn¡¯t get hurt even if they fell.¡±


    After he finished, Brann said, ¡°Ah,¡± and shut his mouth.


    The Sol family serves Takar. As such, their parenting knowledge was geared towards Takar.


    ¡°Wait, this is such an extreme example¡­¡±


    ¡°To what extent is it being extreme? I grew up listening to the same class, ¡®When the imperial family is flinging things about, how do you face it without getting hurt?¡¯¡°


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve also used that many times.¡±


    Avoiding it would only invoke more anger, so he would face it skillfully, but he¡¯d used the method to face it without getting hurt on Atil several times.


    ¡°But does this make sense? She had a stomach ache after drinking a cold drink. A cold drink.¡±


    Brynn growled.


    ¡°This is a disgrace to the Sol family, no, in the name of Brynn Sol, unforgivable.¡±


    She was careless.


    She bit her lip. Brann also nodded in agreement.


    He¡¯d also heard that he had an upset stomach from consuming a cold drink.


    When Atil and Pi heard about it, they were surprised, and so was he.


    This wasn¡¯t to say that children of blueblood families didn¡¯t get upset stomachs.


    But it only occurs when they¡¯re poisoned by something undetected, and not because too many cold drinks were consumed.


    ¡®I heard there are some lower-ranked aristocrats that are like that.¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s another astonishing fact. Normally, children would experience boiling fever for no reason.¡±


    ¡°Fever?¡±


    Once again, Brann was shocked.


    Don¡¯t fevers only appear in the case of severe illness?


    ¡°Yes, due to teething fever. Anyways, there¡¯s something like that and much more.¡±


    ¡°For no reason?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very scary.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Brynn then glanced at Brann and said,


    ¡°By the way, could you take half of this?¡±


    ¡°With pleasure.¡±


    A sudden gust of wind blew past, and Brann happily took half of the pile of documents away.


    Then, he saw Brynn straighten her shoulders.


    His glistening eyes were affixed onto the brooch that she wore around her neck.


    It was a silver brooch.


    It was a silver coin that sparkled with an odd allure.


    The outer rim was decorated with gold and it was fixed in the middle of the ribbon.


    Although they walked side by side, his eyes remained on the brooch.


    So she¡¯d asked him to take half of her documents as she wanted to brag about this. He couldn¡¯t help but lament.


    ¡°Where did you get that brooch?¡±


    ¡°The princess gave it to me as a present.¡±


    Brynn smiled and spoke triumphantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty, right?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be ordinary silver. How did you process it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    Brynn turned around with a grin.


    ¡°Now then, return my papers back to me.¡±


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve made a promise, I¡¯ll listen till the end anyways.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I have two arms and so do you.¡±


    ¡°No¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hurry up.¡±


    Brann put the pile he¡¯d taken onto Brynn¡¯s pile.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With a light bend of her knees, Brynn straightened up and disappeared with frequent steps. Her steps were light, perhaps because she¡¯d bragged about the silver to him.


    ¡°Oh¡­ The children of the family will turn hostile when they see it.¡±


    Even his greed was invoked, so what of the other children?


    ¡°Should I request it from the princess?¡±


    Princess Lilica might give him one with a smile, but then he¡¯d have to deal with that enormous glare of Brynn¡¯s.


    Additionally, she wasn¡¯t the master he served, so it would be rather difficult to mention such a request.


    He scratched his cheek and turned away to appease his regret.


    * * *


    These days, Lilica has only been eating food that¡¯s good for digestion.


    Just as she was gradually getting sick of the food, she shouted hurrah at the custard pudding that her mother brought as a snack.


    Ludia watched the appearance of Lilica happily mumbling while eating the pudding.


    She wondered, what was in her baby¡¯s mouth that¡¯s making her so happy.


    ¡°But Mother, you look so beautiful in your outfit today.¡±


    ¡°Huhu,¡± Ludia laughed at Lilica¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the grand theatre in a little while.¡±


    ¡°A grand theatre?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a theatre for plays and operas.¡±


    ¡°Are you going with His Majesty?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom is going alone today. It would be nice to go with Lilica next time.¡±


    After the current one was burned down and a new grand theatre was built.


    After swallowing down the last words, Ludia kissed Lilica¡¯s round head.


    ¡°Then Mom will get going now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you off.¡±


    Lilica put down the pudding and got up from her seat.


    ¡°I¡¯m completely better now. I¡¯m really strong, so I don¡¯t have to stay in the room anymore.¡±


    Ludia laughed at Lilica¡¯s eager appeal.


    It seems that Brynn tends to overprotect her these days.


    ¡°Okay. Then, shall we walk to the carriage together?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Change into something comfortable.¡±


    Ludia looked at Brynn and pushed Lilica¡¯s back slightly. Lilica happily followed Brynn, even leaving behind the pudding that she was eating.


    It¡¯s been a long time since she went out.


    She changed her clothes and put on new silver button boots.


    The sound of her new shoes¡¯ heels was rather airy, so she liked it. It was also good to walk in the palace holding hands with my mother.


    Her mother looked really, really beautiful, after dressing to go to the theatre today.


    ¡®When I become an adult, I¡¯ll wear the same clothes as Mother.¡¯


    The small, slightly slanted hat on top of gold hair was also breathtakingly pretty.


    Lilica tightened her grip on her hand. She felt proud that such a beautiful person was her mother.


    The carriage was already ready, and Altheos was unexpectedly waiting beside it.


    Ludia asked in surprise.


    ¡°Are you going with me? No, you¡¯re definitely not dressed like it at all. You¡¯re not going to the grand theatre with me in that outfit, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just here to see my lovely wife off despite being busy with work.¡±


    He grinned. Ludia was also smiling.


    The role of a close emperor and empress was also an important factor in her acting.


    ¡°It makes me uneasy to send off such a beautiful wife to go outside.¡±


    He reached out and fiddled with her emerald earrings. Ludia smiled faintly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always come back to your side.¡±


    ¡®Wow.¡¯


    Lilica exclaimed.


    She was aware that they had a contractual relationship. So something like this was also a part of the contract.


    How should she describe it?


    His Majesty had only caressed her mother gently, and her cheeks turned red for some reason.


    When she looked around, the surrounding servants also had the same look on their faces.


    ¡°I know, but still, you always¡­¡±


    His Majesty¡¯s voice became lower and smaller, and he approached her mother¡¯s ear closely and whispered something, causing her to blush and burst into laughter.


    Her mother¡¯s hand gripped His Majesty¡¯s arm gently.


    Altheos let go of his wife with a smile and said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be late to the grand theatre if you delay further. Tell me if the performance was fun when you return.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will.¡±


    ¡°Then, Lily, would you like to send your mother off with me?¡±


    Altheos reached out and Lilica quickly grabbed his hand.


    A hand was held by her mother, and the other by His Majesty.


    It was her first time that both of her hands were being held like this.


    Her mother bent down and spoke to Lilica.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡±


    ¡°Please have a pleasant journey. Take care.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring along the talisman that Lily has given me, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With a smile, her mother was escorted into the carriage by His Majesty.


    When the door of the carriage closed and she¡¯d seen her mother off, His Majesty lifted her up all of a sudden.


    ¡°I heard you were sick?¡±


    Lilica nodded in response to Altheos¡¯ question. He looked at Lilica seriously.


    Lilica said quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. I was just having an upset stomach.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but still.¡±


    He smirked.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you make a strong talisman?¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Lilica had an epiphany. Her eyes widened.


    ¡°I saw the talisman that you gave to Ludia¡­ I heard that you made it yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Lilica hesitated for a moment. Altheos waited patiently.


    She didn¡¯t know if she could tell Altheos about magic.


    As she was hesitating, Altheos began to walk lightly. Startled, Lilica grabbed his shoulder.


    ¡°All of you, don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    With those words, all the attendants and knights that were following after them stopped. But Lauv took another step closer.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±


    He called for Altheos in a low voice.


    Altheos smiled ferociously¡ªLilica couldn¡¯t figure out how this was possible¡ª and said.


    ¡°Why? Lauv Wolfe, do you want to run around on all fours and bark?¡±


    Lauv¡¯s expression hardened. Lilica shouted because she knew that things were heading south.


    ¡°Lauv, wait!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    An odd silence filled the air. Lilica quick-wittedly noticed the atmosphere and spoke embarrassedly.


    ¡°No, I only meant to tell you to wait a minute¡­¡­ Why¡­ Did I say something weird?¡±


    ¡°No, but perhaps you can do ¡®sit¡¯ or ¡®hand¡¯.¡±


    Lilica¡¯s expression turned blank at Altheos¡¯s words.


    She has never kept a pet dog before, so she couldn¡¯t understand what that metaphor was referring to.


    A pack of wild dogs that wandered around the slums was just an object of fear.


    So she took those words as it was.


    ¡°Why would I make Lauv do that? No, I can let him sit down.¡±


    But what¡¯s with ¡®hand¡¯?


    As she was thinking about that, Altheos laughed and continued to walk again. Lilica looked backwards and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    She even waved her hand to reassure him. Lauv, who stood there in a daze, quickly turned into a dot.


    Altheos went straight towards the Sky Palace.


    After a while, Altheos arrived in a deserted garden and said.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    He pointed towards the roses that were in the garden. Lilica¡¯s gaze also turned in that direction.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    The petals that were on the floor rose into the air and fell down like snow.


    It was a literal ¡®storm of petals¡¯. Lilica asked surprisedly.


    ¡°Are you a wizard?¡±


    Altheos laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s similar. It¡¯s the power of the dragon clan.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was to freeze things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also possible.¡±


    When he opened his palm, a snow crystal appeared from within and it disappeared when he waved his hand.


    He asked again.


    ¡°So, how did you make the talisman?¡±


    ¡°Well¡ª¡±


    The magical sight caused Lilica¡¯s heart to open widely.


    She recounted how she discovered a magic book in detail.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Altheos remained silent after listening to her story.


    Lilica looked at the silent emperor and asked.


    ¡°Erm, that¡¯s real magic, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Although the gold coins sparkled, whether they were effective as talismans was yet to be seen.


    Aroused from his silence, Altheos smiled and nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°As expected.¡±


    Lilica nodded with conviction. Altheos¡¯s expression turned serious. He spoke.


    ¡°But that magic book seems to be dangerous. It¡¯s better to return it back to where it came from.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous?¡±


    ¡°The idea of moving people¡¯s hearts with magic in itself.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    There certainly was a lot of such content. On second thought, it was right of him to say that it was dangerous.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°And just because there¡¯s a magic book doesn¡¯t mean everyone can use magic. You¡¯re special.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilica¡¯s eyes widened. She¡¯d never thought that she had a special ability.


    ¡°As such, from now onwards, it¡¯s better to keep it a secret that you made a talisman. It isn¡¯t good for people to know about magic.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Oh, but Brynn already knows I found a magic book.¡±


    ¡°Brynn Sol¡­¡­ a Sol should be fine.¡±


    He nodded. Altheos fell silent for a moment and let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Why did it have to be now? Why is it you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The reason for the wizard¡¯s reappearance.¡±


    It seemed like he was muttering to himself, but when she asked a question, a reply came back steadily. Lilica also fell into contemplation when she heard his response.


    He chuckled.


    ¡°Right, I¡¯m also standing here like this.¡±


    After a moment of consideration, Altheos said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you magic.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty will?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s have classes once a week.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Altheos nodded and continued.


    ¡°Originally, Princesses would also receive a fief.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    While those words appeared randomly, it had nothing to do with her, so Lilica just nodded.


    Since Atil had his own fief, princesses could also have fiefs.


    Rather, her heart leaped at the words ¡®magic class¡¯.


    ¡°Well, about the class¡ª¡±


    Altheos spoke, cutting off Lilica¡¯s words.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Once again, Altheos jumped towards a conclusion. He then set her down and said.


    ¡°Be careful on your way back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    The bewildered Lilica nodded and turned around. After checking the way, she asked.


    ¡°Your Majesty, this is the right way¡­¡­ I¡­¡±


    When she turned around, there wasn¡¯t anyone around.


    Flustered, Lilica realised that His Majesty must have used magic to disappear.


    ¡®I can walk the entire way back. I¡¯m a wizard.¡¯


    Lilica bravely began walking down the path between the rose bushes.


    * * *

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    ¡°Lat!¡±


    When he heard the voice yelling for him as he entered, Lat set down the quill pen he was appreciating.


    ¡®There¡¯s no time to rest, even for a second.¡¯


    As he thought that, he got up from his seat and asked.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Is there a place among the imperial territories that can be handed out?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you handing out imperial territory to?¡±


    Lat asked back in astonishment. No, it wasn¡¯t during wartime, so who was he suddenly handing out territory to?


    ¡°The Princess.¡±


    Lat was rendered speechless by the answer he was given.


    ¡°You mean Princess Lilica, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A fief?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t all members of the imperial family receive some?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but.¡±


    Lat¡¯s eyes narrowed. Altheos had no choice but to answer him.


    ¡°If you were blinded by affection for a woman, you¡¯d have given the fief to the empress directly.¡±


    ¡°Well, it seems like it¡¯ll be better to give it to her daughter than to her directly.¡±


    At Lat¡¯s words, Altheos nodded, ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°Anyways, distribute the estates. Even if it isn¡¯t good land, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Lat let out a long sigh. Why did he become the Chancellor of the Empire?


    No, it¡¯s not that he disliked being the Chancellor. He didn¡¯t have to bow to anyone other than the emperor.


    The good thing about this position was that he can stiffen his neck even in front of the head of the Barat family.


    ¡®Other than dealing with the aftermath of that fickleness.¡¯


    Lat can¡¯t believe that he¡¯s giving the princess a fief. How much should be given?


    In fact, there was a relatively vast amount of land owned by the imperial family.


    In the past, it would have been shared between members of the imperial family, but now there were only two¡ªno, three direct descendants of the imperial family.


    When a member of the imperial family dies, the fiefdom that was bestowed will return back to the emperor¡¯s jurisdiction, so the amount of land currently under the emperor¡¯s jurisdiction was probably the widest since the empire¡¯s founding.


    ¡°How much is needed?¡±


    ¡°You can just give an appropriate amount after referring to previous data.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re doing this all of a sudden?¡±


    Altheos looked at Lat quietly. Deep blue eyes that were like the abyss gave him a measured stare.


    Lat would often think that if his scales became tilted, he¡¯d be swallowed up in that abyss.


    That didn¡¯t just apply to himself.


    His family, the empire,


    As well as humans.


    He felt a chill, like his entire being was sinking all the way down to the bottom. It was an inhuman gaze.


    Lat barely managed to respond without averting his gaze.


    Altheos grinned and said, like he¡¯d finished seizing him up.


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t reach Sandar¡¯s ears.¡±


    Those words amplified Lat¡¯s curiosity instantly.


    His curiosity gradually crept up from deep within.


    ¡°Well, the chancellor wouldn¡¯t reveal secrets of the country he is protecting.¡±


    Even if it was towards a blood relative.


    That was Sandar¡¯s pride and Lat¡¯s own pride.


    Altheos didn¡¯t believe Lat¡¯s confident declaration, but thought it was a perfect story to put that to the test.


    ¡°Do you know about wizards?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean the people that sell strange herbs and delude the world and deceive the people? Or are you referring to those with skillful hands?¡±


    Lat¡¯s words became caustic. Altheos sat down in his chair with a chuckle. Lat fiddled with his monocle and said.


    ¡°There are some people who use ancient artifacts, but they aren¡¯t wizards.¡±


    They¡¯re just artifact users.


    Altheos nodded and said.


    ¡°There are three types of wizards left.¡±


    ¡°There are three types?¡±


    ¡°The first one is the dragon.


    He raised a finger. Lat replied grimly.


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, there are those that make deals with primordial spirits¡­¡±


    ¡°Primordial spirit?¡±


    Lat asked back in surprise. Altheos shrugged.


    ¡°I heard that such people still exist in the desert.¡±


    Lat knew that Altheos came from the desert.


    So he wanted to ask if he¡¯d witnessed it before, but it didn¡¯t seem like he would confirm it.


    Altheos continued.


    ¡°Are they called fairies here? They¡¯re not as cute as those in children¡¯s fairy tales though.¡±


    ¡°This is turning into a rather interesting conversation.¡±


    When he heard about it cursorily, it seemed like wizards were slightly different existences.


    The word primordial spirit, too.


    In any case, it meant that there were mysterious existences.


    Altheos raised his third finger.


    ¡°Lastly, a true human.¡±


    Lat made a strange face.


    ¡°I¡¯m also a true human being.¡±


    ¡°No, not a mixed human like you guys. A pure-blooded human, a person of prayer. The ones that used their will as magic and pulled an island out of the sea.¡±


    Lat¡¯s expression hardened at Altheos¡¯s words. The word ¡®mixed¡¯ was a heartbreaking term for the blueblood families. He spoke lowly.


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t exist now.¡±


    It was no exaggeration to say that all humans on this land were actually a mix of human and monster blood. It was just the blood¡¯s thickness and thinness.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Altheos nodded. Lat tried to summarise Altheos¡¯ words.


    ¡®Could it be that the princess was a human being that made deals with primordial spirits?¡¯


    If that¡¯s true, how did they make a deal?


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of that innocent and amiable personality.¡¯


    In any case, it was a good story worth keeping a secret.


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s find a suitable fief.¡±


    Lat nodded. With a fief, the princess¡¯ influence would increase even further. In other words, the layers of protection would increase.


    If she was such a talented person, the emperor was right to retain her in the imperial family and protect her.


    Lat thought so. Altheos was lost in thought.


    A person of prayer.


    A wizard.


    A pure-blooded human being.


    The first ones to arrive on this continent. The humans that were rescued from a broken island by a dragon.


    The people that have lost their ¡®power of will¡¯ as they blended in with the monsters of the island.


    From the word ¡®pure blood¡¯, he found it a little ridiculous. First of all, humans on the continent would always think of themselves as real humans.


    Just like Lat.


    ¡®There aren¡¯t any now. Yes. But it¡¯s quite interesting that there¡¯s a return of the ancestors.¡¯


    Altheos saw this kind of possibility from Lilica.


    A person that used her will, with affection as her driving force.


    Even if it was a fake magic book, it would work as long as she believes, follows, and prays for it.


    From a certain angle, it was a very dangerous ability.


    ¡®Fortunately, not everyone has the same level of ability.¡¯


    Apparently, the weak ones were at the level of fixing broken branches and repairing small wounds.


    As for the strong ones.


    ¡®Returning time to the past, distortion of space, and saving the dead.¡¯


    It¡¯s a power that¡¯s close to a God.


    In that case, maybe. Just maybe¡ª


    ¡®No, amongst the ancestors that returned, no one had such a powerful ability.¡¯


    He gave up the faintly rising hope.


    Even after returning to the ancestors, the best they could do was to gain a good harvest.


    He chuckled.


    The mixed bloods were drawn to the pure bloods.


    The more that was the case, the closer they were to a monster, as though they heard a summon from deep within their veins.


    ¡®I hope that it¡¯ll only remain that the level of cute magic.¡¯


    * * *


    ¡®Am I lost?¡¯


    She could obviously see the Sun Palace over there, but she couldn¡¯t head there directly.


    Lilica was familiar with the complicated back alleys of the slums.


    She quickly noticed that something was strange. As she agonised over it, she heard a voice from above.


    ¡°What brings you here, my robin Princess?¡±


    Lilica raised her head in delight and shouted.


    ¡°Fjord!¡±


    He jumped off the branch like he had been summoned.


    When he came down so easily, it felt like the tree he¡¯d climbed up wasn¡¯t that tall.


    Fjord asked after greeting Lilica.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re here to admire the roses.¡±


    Lilica¡¯s appearance walking in circles was rather obvious from above. Lilica sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m lost.¡±


    ¡°The paths here are complicated. You can¡¯t go straight towards the Sun Palace, can you?


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    The feeling of incompatibility she had was that.


    ¡°It¡¯s to stop people. You can¡¯t reach the Sun Palace if you take a wrong turn here.¡±


    It could be described as a maze to prevent people at the Sky palace from coming to the Sun Palace.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    She¡¯ll explore this place more meticulously with Brynn next time.


    As she¡¯d focused on exploring the Sun Palace, anywhere else was difficult for her.


    ¡®His Majesty, honestly.¡¯


    How could he just leave someone in this sort of place.


    She seems to have fallen short of his expectations, if he hoped that she would remember the path she was carried through.


    ¡®Brynn and Lauv must be really worried.¡¯


    ¡°Does Fjord know the way?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you lead me the way?¡±


    ¡°It would be an honour to do so.¡±


    Again he bowed gracefully and began walking.


    Lilica asked as she walked alongside him.


    ¡°Come to think of it, Fjord is always in the garden?¡±


    ¡°I like nature.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a garden at home?¡±


    ¡°There is one, but it¡¯s not my cup of tea. The fertiliser is so rich that there¡¯s a stink.¡±


    ¡°In the garden? Then are the others alright with it?¡±


    ¡°They seem to be used to it, so they wouldn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    Fjord spoke with a sneer. Lilica nodded. She continued asking.


    ¡°Are you feeling well? Has the place you were hit in recovered?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve fully recovered, thanks to your concern.¡±


    He smiled. Lilica looked at him and said.


    ¡°I would feel more embarrassed than pain when I got hit.¡±


    The sound of a thud, and the sensation of her body being flung away.


    It was really painful, but more than that, she was ashamed that she had to suffer a beating like that in front of everyone.


    She was embarrassed beyond words.


    ¡°Who hit the princess?¡±


    Fjord¡¯s voice was really soft. But Lilica sensed a feeling of unease.


    ¡°It was the landlord when I was behind on the rent in the past. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Lilica added quickly.


    ¡°So, what I¡¯m saying is, Fjord might also feel the same way. It might not be the case too. I was wondering if it¡¯s like that, would you be alright¡­¡±


    The sound of her words of concern gradually turned small and Fjord became lost in thought.


    For him, the shame and humiliation of being beaten had long turned faint.


    Rather, there is a faint mixture of anger and resignation.


    ¡°Rather than that¡­¡±


    He murmured softly and trailed off.


    Rather than that.


    All that remained was her worried tone, her careful touch, and a sense of kindness.


    The uncalculating kindness of a young princess.


    It made him want to escape from that place, and yet made him want to remain in that seat indefinitely.


    ¡°Rather than that, the castella was much more memorable.¡±


    This was the answer he could give. It was because he was also unable to accurately understand his own feelings.


    Lilica smiled broadly.


    ¡°Yes, the castella is really delicious.¡±


    Delicious food also helps to erase bad memories.


    ¡°By the way, Fjord.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my robin Princess.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why you don¡¯t get along with Atil?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m Barat¡¯s greatest masterpiece.¡±


    His answer was unwavering and rather cheerful.


    Lilica felt unpleasant at that kind of lightheartedness. Lilica said earnestly.


    ¡°But Fjord isn¡¯t a masterpiece.¡±


    This time, he looked back at Lilica, truly astonished. His golden red eyes grew round.


    Lilica told him earnestly.


    ¡°Fjord isn¡¯t an object or a work.¡±


    She didn¡¯t like the sarcastic tone that was mingled in his words whenever he said that.


    He stared at Lilica dazedly.


    After a while, he smiled and tried to do something, but his expression didn¡¯t look quite good.


    His expression wavered and distorted for a moment, and eventually he gave a bitter smile.


    It was a smile that was unlike a boy of his age.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He just said that. Lilica didn¡¯t say anything more to him.


    ¡®Sometimes, no, oftentimes, silence is better than words.¡¯


    She remembered the shoe shining mister saying that.


    As they walked, Lilica discovered that he adjusted his strides to match hers.


    He didn¡¯t become frustrated like other adults at how she couldn¡¯t walk quickly.


    He also didn¡¯t walk quickly and expected her to match his stride like Atil did.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if Fjord walks a little faster.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Fjord smiled.


    ¡°I like the time spent walking side by side with the Princess.¡±


    Lilica paused for a moment and gave a broad smile.


    ¡°I like Fjord, too.¡±


    She smiled innocently and held his hand in a gesture of friendliness.


    He flinched and looked down at Lilica.


    Just as Lilica said, ¡°Do you not like holding hands?¡±, he tightened his grip on her hand.


    ¡°The Princess only says things that make me happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief then.¡±


    At Lilica¡¯s words, Fjord laughed again. He walked along the path slowly and told her the places she had to turn and some signs.


    Lilica listened very carefully, but it was difficult to memorise it all at once.


    His voice was pleasant to listen to because there was a musical quality about it for some reason. As they walked, he even pointed out to her that that was a robin.


    It was a small brown bird, with a red chest. It was a pretty cute bird.


    ¡®Do we look alike because of the brown colour?¡¯


    Not long after, Fjord stopped.


    ¡°Someone seems to be outside there.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is it Lauv?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way then.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Let¡¯s have a cup of tea before you go.¡±


    ¡°His Highness will be angry.¡±


    As Fjord said that, he placed his index finger on his lips and smiled.


    ¡°Please keep it a secret that we¡¯ve met here.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Lilica also placed her index finger on his lips.


    He bowed lightly and retreated back. Lilica watched him disappear behind a tall bush.


    As she waited quietly, she heard a voice not far away.


    ¡°Princess, Princess Lilica!¡±


    ¡°Lauv! I¡¯m here!¡±


    Lilica shouted, and shortly afterwards Lauv appeared. He scanned her up and down in a hurry and asked.


    ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m safe. Ah, Brynn.¡±


    Lilica waved to Brynn, who appeared soon after. Brynn was gnashing her teeth in anger.


    She waited but Lilica didn¡¯t return, so she sent a servant to the office just in case, but hasn¡¯t His Majesty already returned?


    Upon further questioning, she found out that the princess was left in the maze garden. She thought that she was about to faint.


    ¡®Even if she was accidentally pricked by the thorn of a rose, the princess could die of tetanus!¡¯


    To leave her in such a dangerous place, there must really be something wrong with Takar¡¯s head.


    Lilica smiled and reassured the both of them.


    ¡°I walked a long distance, but I looked around the garden and it was very pretty. There wasn¡¯t anyone around.¡±


    Their expressions eased after confirming that she wasn¡¯t injured. Lauv slowly got up from his position and said,


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    Brynn quickly picked Lilica up. Lilica laughed softly.


    Why was everyone around her gradually getting accustomed to scooping her up?


    ¡®But I prefer walking side by side.¡¯


    When she grows taller, she can walk alongside everyone without falling behind.


    She was looking forward to when that time comes.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    She practised horseback riding in the afternoon.


    Lilica had fun riding the pony. She walked and ran in harmony with Saebyeol.


    Brynn smiled happily as she watched from a distance.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to order a few more horseback riding suits, too. If she gets used to it, she should also learn how to ride sidesaddle.¡±


    Lauv was a little confused on whether she was talking to him or not.


    His gray eyes glanced at Brynn before turning back towards Lilica.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she so cute?¡±


    Lauv agreed to the words that were spoken ecstatically with hands clasped tightly together.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, that scared me. What, you know how to speak?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    In an instant, Lauv wondered what he should say and responded flusteredly.


    ¡°I know how to.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, me too. I¡¯m quite good at mumbling to myself, so you don¡¯t have to reply.¡±


    Then, she smiled broadly and waved at Lilica, who was waving in this direction.


    When Lauv waved with her, Brynn said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, will you? She¡¯s waving at me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m soliloquizing, ¡®Alright.¡¯¡±


    Lauv replied. Brynn¡¯s eyes narrowed. Lilica came over in an instant and asked.


    ¡°How was it? Doesn¡¯t it seem like I¡¯m pretty decent at riding now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your back was also straight, and you rode so well.¡±


    ¡°I think I can gallop at full speed now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    As she answered with a bright smile, she spotted a servant running from a distance.


    She could see it clearly as she was seated at a high spot.


    The servant that rushed over hurriedly stopped and said.


    ¡°Apparently, the grand theatre is on fire, Princess.¡±


    ¡°The grand theatre?¡±


    The moment she thought, ¡°That¡¯s bad,¡± Lilica soon remembered that her mother went to the grand theatre earlier.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Lilica couldn¡¯t help but spur the horse on. Saebyeol immediately responded and began running.


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    Brynn exclaimed in astonishment, and Lauv shot out like a flash of lightning.


    In an instant, he ran faster than the horse and blocked its path.


    Lilica yanked on the reins in surprise. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t running at full speed, so Saebyeol stopped immediately.


    She¡¯d almost hit Lauv, and Lilica thought her heart was about to rise out of her throat.


    ¡°Lauv!¡±


    Lauv shouted.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Where else, obviously¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to the Grand theatre, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll call for a carriage.¡±


    Brynn quickly caught up with them and said. Only then did Lilica realise that she didn¡¯t even know where the grand theatre was.


    There¡¯s no way she could have gotten there on Saebyeol¡¯s back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I mean.¡±


    Her hands trembled as she tried to stay calm.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Lauv hugged her off the horse. Brynn squeezed Lilica¡¯s hands tightly.


    ¡°The Empress also has a talisman, doesn¡¯t she? I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll be fine. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lilica thought that she was good at taking care of herself, but that wasn¡¯t the truth.


    While Brynn arranged for everything, Atil, who¡¯d heard the news, ran over.


    ¡°Lilica!¡±


    Lilica suddenly felt like crying.


    ¡°Atil¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯re going over now, right?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Horses are faster than a carriage. You can sit in front of me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡±


    Lauv objected. He continued as Atil glared at him.


    ¡°Horses are too exposed. Besides, it¡¯s all the more so if two people are riding on a horse at the same time.¡±


    Atil¡¯s expression hardened.


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me. The fire in the grand theatre? On purpose?¡¯


    Lilica came to her senses at that. She wanted to dash over there immediately.


    If she knew the way there, she would¡¯ve rode on Saebyeol and headed there, even if she was all by herself.


    But you shouldn¡¯t do that.


    An outstanding princess would,


    An outstanding princess would.


    Lilica looked up.


    ¡°Then please prepare the carriage quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡±


    When a servant rushed over and delivered those words, Brynn spoke in a voice that wasn¡¯t loud but sounded very clear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Atil pulled Lilica along by the wrist.


    The carriage was one that could travel swiftly, and there weren¡¯t any emblems.


    But it seemed rather sturdy.


    The carriage ride was rather rough, but Lilica only found it to be too slow. Atil held her hand tightly.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    At that time, the sensitive Atil noticed the signs and said.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Lilica opened the carriage¡¯s small window with a snap. Raindrops were falling.


    Tap, tap, tap.


    ¡®A little more, a little more, quickly¡ª¡¯


    As soon as Lilica made a wish, it began to rain.


    The carriage slowed down. It was a great downpour.


    The sound of thunder could be heard very closely. The sound of the rain was loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s Uncle.¡±


    Atil said lowly. Lilica looked back at him in surprise. Atil grinned crookedly.


    ¡°Who else is capable of making it suddenly rain like this? At this time, just like that.¡±


    He looked back at Lilica.


    ¡°Everything will be fine now.¡±


    * * *


    It stopped raining when she got out of the carriage. Nevertheless, the acrid smell was everywhere.


    More than half of the grand theatre, which was boasted as the empire¡¯s most majestic place, was burned down.


    Rescuers and spectators crowded the area surrounding the theatre.


    However, it wasn¡¯t difficult to locate Ludia, as there was a place where the knights formed a circle and kept guard.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Lilica ran over with a loud cry. Ludia, who was seated in a portable chair, looked up.


    ¡°Lily!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    She burst into tears at the sight of her mother¡¯s face, who was safe and sound.


    Soot was all over her mother¡¯s damp face and body, indicating the urgency of the situation.


    Lilica threw herself into her lap.


    ¡°You, you¡¯re alright. You¡¯re safe, hic.¡±


    ¡°Mother is alright. I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s all because of the talisman that Lily gave me.¡±


    Ludia patted Lilica¡¯s head. Then, she looked up, found Atil and smiled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the both of you to appear here like this.¡±


    Ludia patted the approaching Atil¡¯s arm lightly, and sighed.


    ¡°The flames were really huge.¡±


    ¡°But thanks to Her Majesty the Empress, the casualties have been greatly reduced. Do you know how worried I was that you didn¡¯t come out until the last second because you were directing people to escape?¡±


    The head lady-in-waiting sighed and spoke like she was airing her grievances. Ludia smiled.


    ¡°But it¡¯s fortunate that it rained like this.¡±


    ¡°You must be fortunate to have a husband like me.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. Altheos.¡±


    Ludia looked surprised.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Altheos strode over, grabbed her chin and tilted it around.


    ¡°Did you get hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Altheos let go and folded his arms.


    ¡°Then get up.¡±


    Startled by those words, Lilica immediately jumped out of her mother¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Are you hurt? Are you not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°A little on my ankle, Altheos, I¡¯ll make you regret it if you try to lift my skirt up right now.¡±


    Altheos, who had an outstretched hand, stopped. He looked at her quietly and spoke to Lilica.


    ¡°Your mother is such a reckless person.¡±


    ¡°Altheos!¡±


    What are you talking about in front of a child? Then, Ludia raised her voice suddenly.


    The people in their surroundings craned their necks and listened in on their conversation.


    ¡°Is His Majesty here?¡±


    ¡°Did Her Majesty the Empress get hurt?¡±


    ¡°I heard that it happened while she was saving people. My goodness¡­¡­¡±


    Tears started falling from Lilica¡¯s eyes again. It was scary. She was scared, really scared.


    She only had her mother.


    If even her mother disappeared.


    If even her mother disappeared.


    Ludia rose from her seat and scooped up Lilica. Astonished, Lilica said.


    ¡°Y, your leg.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really just a slight injury. Here, isn¡¯t Mom standing properly? Hmm? Mom¡¯s fine. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    As she stroked her head and patted her back, Lilica burst into tears in her arms again.


    Altheos said to the sniffling Lilica.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Now, I¡¯m protecting your mother.¡±


    At those words, Ludia made a pathetic expression for a moment and she quickly told her daughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, His Majesty is the strongest man in the Empire. Lilica doesn¡¯t have to worry so much. You were really shocked, right? So you were frightened.¡±


    ¡°Bring the children to this place,¡± although there were many things Ludia wanted to say, she held them back. Altheos spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the palace for now. It¡¯s too chaotic here.¡±


    ¡°In any case, that would be nice.¡±


    When Ludia said those words, Lilica squeezed her mother tightly once and dropped onto the ground.


    Atil clicked his tongue and handed her a handkerchief.


    ¡°Then¡ª¡±


    As Ludia turned her head to look for a carriage, Altheos lifted her up.


    ¡°Altheos!¡±


    ¡°I heard you hurt your ankle.¡±


    ¡°Honestly.¡±


    Ludia sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    The appearance of the emperor and empress getting on the carriage left a strong impression on the people.


    ¡°Long live the Empress!¡±


    ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡±


    For some reason, Lilica couldn¡¯t follow behind them. She twisted her handkerchief and stood there quietly, watching the retreating silhouettes of her mother and His Majesty.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Atil asked, causing Lilica to startle and shake her head. Atil looked around.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to roughly settle things here before going back. Go back first.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No matter what, there¡¯s nothing you can do right now. Since you¡¯ve shown your face. Since His Majesty left like that, I should handle the matters here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, too, is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s too dangerous, so go back.¡±


    ¡°Still, still¡­¡±


    Lilica wanted to do something. Atil spoke firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Lilica answered softly and stepped back. Brynn said next to him.


    ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness, I would like to say something. Now that the princess making an appearance here is known, it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for her to leave immediately.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Atil¡¯s brows furrowed. Lilica raised her head up in a flash and raised her voice.


    ¡°I can also do it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°What can you do? Don¡¯t get in the way¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Brann, who was standing behind him, cleared his throat. Atil held back what he was about to say.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t trying to hurt her, are you?¡±


    He recalled Pi¡¯s words and took a deep breath.


    Yes.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to hurt her.


    ¡°Lilica, the things that have to be done here are things that you can¡¯t do yet. And there are so many people outside. Lauv, a single escort, can¡¯t handle that. I¡¯m really worried for you, so go back.¡±


    Lilica¡¯s shoulders drooped. She nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Brynn placed a hand on Lilica¡¯s shoulder as a comforting motion.


    Lilica climbed into the carriage and took a backwards glance.


    The figure of Atil, who was skillfully giving instructions to the gathered crowd, entered her eyes.


    ¡®Ah.¡¯


    A rainbow appeared over the collapsed grand theatre. Puddles of water glimmered.


    For some reason, it was devastating, and yet stunning.


    The carriage door closed. The carriage now moved in a much smoother manner than before.


    Brynn, who was riding in the carriage with her, asked carefully.


    ¡°Are you alright, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Mother is safe too. It¡¯s a relief.¡±


    Brynn smiled as she watched Lilica smile and speak bravely.


    ¡°If you grow up a little more, you¡¯ll be able to work with His Highness.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilica nodded.


    When she returned to the palace, Lilica stood beside her mother, who was being examined.


    His Majesty nagged the doctor about this and that.


    There was a terrible look on Lilica¡¯s face, so Ludia comforted her several times.


    Ludia had sprained her ankle slightly, and there was a small burn, so she applied ointment.


    ¡°You could have just watched the fire burn there blankly.¡±


    ¡°Who would have just watched it burn? They would have evacuated the people. The damage would have been greater if I hadn¡¯t stepped up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The head lady-in-waiting beside her agreed.


    ¡°Her Majesty the Empress brought the situation under control with her status and evacuated the crowd. When women dressed in crinoline fell to the floor, they were trampled on without being able to get up. There¡¯s nothing they could do even if they were on fire.¡±


    It was a terrible thing to think about again, and the maid shuddered.


    Those wearing crinoline were helpless once they were caught on fire as it was an outfit that couldn¡¯t be worn or taken off by themselves.


    As the crinoline would obstruct each other, other women couldn¡¯t help them, and the fire quickly spread from one wide skirt to another wide skirt.


    Just one person was enough to block a passageway.


    Fortunately, following the trends, more than half of the women who were dressed in bustle-style clothes. Their movements were much faster.


    ¡°If the Empress hadn¡¯t popularised bustle dresses¡­¡¯


    The head lady-in-waiting¡¯s body trembled.


    If all the women present were dressed in crinoline, it would have resulted in a huge sacrifice, no matter how hard they tried.


    Ludia clenched and unclenched her trembling hand.


    ¡®I knew about it and let my guard down.¡¯


    The fire blazed so strongly and spreaded everywhere in an instant.


    Her body stiffened at the sight of people choking on the smoke and the fluttering flames.


    The blazing fire


    The flames at the stake


    The moment when fear set in,


    Cling!


    Lilica¡¯s talisman fell onto the floor, making an absurdly loud sound amidst the chaos and screams.


    Startled, she was able to come to her senses.


    The moment she spotted the talisman, the strong thought, ¡®To live and return to Lily¡¯s side,¡¯ appeared in her mind.


    Since then, she shouted and waved hurriedly.


    The imperial family¡¯s seat was structured so that could be clearly seen from every direction, so everyone saw her standing there.


    ¡ª I will stay here until the last person escapes!


    That cry captured the hearts of the people.


    A section in the middle of the grand theatre had collapsed, which obstructed the flames and bought them some time. But if it didn¡¯t rain then¡­¡­


    Goosebumps rose all over her, and Ludia rubbed her arms.


    ¡°Anyways, Mom is really fine. It¡¯s all thanks to Lily¡¯s talisman. And thank you, Altheos. I would have been in trouble if it hadn¡¯t rained.¡±


    ¡°It would have become a larger problem if my wife had burned to death there.¡±


    ¡°Altheos.¡±


    When Ludia signalled at Lilica with her eyes, Altheos shut his mouth.


    Lilica smiled.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now. Mother, please rest well.¡±


    ¡°Shall we sleep together tonight? Hmm?¡±


    Ludia suggested with a smile. Lilica glanced at Altheos and shook her head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Lilica spoke bravely and left, ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ludia looked anxiously at her daughter¡¯s small back.


    ¡®Am I still unreliable?¡¯

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    Tan paused in the middle of the garden at night. He¡¯d received a report, but it certainly was troubling.


    A woman in white was crouched on a garden bench.


    Tan could tell who she was just by looking at the thick gold hair that flowed down like clouds.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress.¡±


    Ludia looked up at his call. Tan shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°What brings you here in the middle of the night?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    Ludia paused and sighed.


    ¡°I thought that instead of drinking strong alcohol, it would be much better to take a walk.¡±


    Tan approached her and stopped at a reasonable distance. Ludia murmured.


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t do much, so I just sat here.¡±


    ¡°May I bring you a drink?¡±


    Ludia waved her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to quit.¡±


    The summer night was cool and refreshing, and all the garden¡¯s scents were much more intense than in the day.


    A wolf¡¯s sense of smell was much better than others, so he could distinguish all the scents.


    Roses, poppies, acacias, night-blooming jasmine, dahlias, and the scent of flesh.


    Tan let out a long exhale and said.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you sleep?¡±


    Anyway, he was obliged to either send the woman before him back into the room or escort her.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the things that happened during the day. Actually, I¡¯m afraid of fire.¡±


    Ludia¡¯s mouth opened readily. She gripped her arms tightly.


    Her voice trembled.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll probably have a nightmare. But I don¡¯t want to have a nightmare. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell Altheos about my weaknesses?¡±


    Ludia glared at him and silenced him.


    Rather than that, she was worried that she would utter gibberish while having nightmares.


    It¡¯ll be a big deal if someone hears something like ¡®I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯


    Tan couldn¡¯t say anything when she hmmed and snorted. He scratched his cheek.


    ¡°But, um, between husband and wife¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°There are some things that can¡¯t be done because we¡¯re married. The conditions fit us both and find that aspect perfect. But that¡¯s all.¡±


    There was only intent to take advantage, and not reliance. She can¡¯t be reliant.


    Whenever she relied on something, it would always end up in failure. She has to do things with her own power.


    On her own.


    With her own power.


    She bowed her head.


    ¡°There are times when I feel anxious because of Lilica.¡±


    Tan tilted.


    ¡°I think the princess is a rare person with an innately good personality.¡±


    A low laugh appeared in reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t anything else in response. Tan was worried that she might cry.


    How should he comfort a crying woman?


    If it was someone from his clan, it would be over once he placed candy in their mouth, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case with Ludia.


    Ludia took a breath.


    She has to be solely responsible for Lilica.


    Lilica was a great child, and she changed Ludia.


    So Ludia was doing her best for Lilica, but she couldn¡¯t tell if her best was the right answer.


    She was afraid.


    She was afraid that she might ruin Lilica.


    Was she raising her daughter, who was capable of becoming even better, wrongly?


    Should she wash her hands off and leave her to the best tutors¡­¡­.


    ¡®But today, too¡­.¡¯


    Her daughter just cried. She felt ashamed at the thought of failure.


    She wanted to grab someone and question them about what she should do at times like this.


    She needed someone to discuss things with.


    But there wasn¡¯t anyone.


    She was alone.


    She kept pondering and wondering by herself.


    How to not ruin her daughter.


    How to prevent anyone from touching her daughter.


    How to protect herself from the cruel and evil people.


    Ludia looked up. Tan was startled.


    He thought that she was crying, but she wasn¡¯t crying at all.


    Her resolute face was really beautiful, but somehow, there was also a hint of sorrow.


    Ludia rose from her seat.


    ¡°If I continue to remain here like this, Tan will be quite troubled. I¡¯ll head in now.¡±


    Tan shook his head at Ludia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Please do as you wish, Your Majesty the Empress. I¡¯ll just follow your directions.¡±


    Ludia smiled lightly. She stopped and looked up at the Sun Palace dazedly.


    She looked at the room where her daughter was asleep.


    Perhaps she was shocked that she was rejected despite promising to sleep together often.


    With another sigh, Ludia moved slowly.


    * * *


    Lilica jumped out of bed because she couldn¡¯t sleep.


    She felt anxious and scared.


    The wide bed and the high canopy only served to make her feel lonely today.


    Lilica got down from her high bed and approached the window.


    When she opened the window, the strong scent of flowers washed over her. She placed her arms on the window sill and took a deep breath, but she didn¡¯t feel any more refreshed.


    She couldn¡¯t help but turn her gaze towards the garden.


    For some reason, she thought Fjord would be there if she ran into the maze garden.


    She thought that she¡¯ll feel refreshed if she went over and talked to him.


    But she can¡¯t do that.


    Lilica closed the window and paced around like a caged animal.


    She felt stuffy and frustrated internally.


    Her mother was safe, and the Emperor has promised to protect her. There was nothing lacking.


    Lilica eventually ran out of her room.


    Brynn or Lauv would notice as soon as she left her room, so she used the servant¡¯s passageway like before.


    The hallway was dark and scary.


    But something else was much scarier than fear, so she ran down a short hallway and went back into the servant¡¯s passageway into the Black Dragon Chamber and opened the bedroom door.


    Atil, who was lying on the bed, jumped up and when he saw Lilica panting, he asked in astonishment.


    ¡°What? Did something happen?¡±


    As soon as he got out of bed, Lilica ran and hugged him tightly. Atil looked up.


    Lauv and Brynn peeped through the open door of the servant¡¯s passageway.


    Both of them were watching where their master was going.


    When Atil made a dismissive hand gesture, the two of them bowed and carefully closed the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Hm?¡±


    When Atil saw Lilica clinging to him desperately, he tried to make his voice as friendly as possible.


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?Are you alright? Or is it because you¡¯re unable to fall asleep again?¡±


    Lilica just shook her head at the various problems she suggested.


    ¡°Aunt is safe, and she will be fine in the future. Uncle has said it, so he¡¯ll keep his word¡­¡­.¡±


    Lilica tightened her embrace. Atil paused and asked her.


    ¡°Do you, perhaps, dislike Uncle?¡±


    It was common for the child to dislike the partner of their parents¡¯ remarriage.


    ¡°N, no.¡±


    Lilica finally spoke. Atil felt a little frustrated, but he tried to exercise as much patience as he could.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Lilica withdrew wordlessly. Atil held back the urge to question her at the sight of her sullen face.


    Doesn¡¯t he also have a whirlwind of emotions that he couldn¡¯t vocalise?


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Instead, when he opened up his arms again, Lilica burst into tears and burrowed into his arms again.


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Atil patted her back carefully. As she sobbed, her small back trembled and her shoulders shook.


    Atil frowned at the soundless sobs, but he remained silent.


    After crying for a while, Lilica said quietly.


    ¡°M, mom¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What if Mom abandons me¡­?¡±


    After speaking, Lilica began to cry again. Atil found it absurd.


    Anyone knows the fact that Ludia cared for Lilica. So why would she abandon Lilica?


    ¡°Why would Aunt abandon you? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°But, but¡ª¡°


    Right now, she¡¯s useless.


    Her mother was so beautiful that she could have abandoned Lilica and left whenever she wanted. As such, Lilica worked hard to earn money, and protected her mother.


    ¡®If I¡¯m a little more useful, if I work a little harder.¡¯


    ¡®If you need me.¡¯


    ¡®Then, Mother won¡¯t leave. You¡¯ll love me.¡¯


    But now there¡¯s His Majesty, who¡¯ll protect her mother. Then, there¡¯s no room for Lilica.


    Now, she was unneeded.


    Her mother wouldn¡¯t keep a useless child, would she? Then, will she never gain her love?


    Atil said, ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± but he agonised over what he should do. It was quite a difficult problem for him to solve.


    Just then, the servants¡¯ passageway opened again. Atil looked up and his eyes widened.


    The hand that was stroking her back stilled. Lilica didn¡¯t notice and continued crying.


    Then, a cool hand stroked her hair.


    ¡°Lily, would you like to chat with Mom for a while? Hm?¡±


    Lilica looked back in surprise. There stood Ludia, who was dressed lightly.


    On the way back to her room, she met Brynn and came over immediately.


    ¡°M, mother.¡±


    Lilica was at a loss. Atil took off her arm stealthily and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some space.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Atil.¡±


    At Ludia¡¯s words, he excused himself with a glance and quickly left the bedroom. Lilica fiddled with her fingers, unsure of what to do.


    ¡°Mother, are you alright? Are you not sleepy?¡±


    Ludia felt like crying when she saw her daughter asking after her stammeringly.


    Ludia held it in with difficulty and wrapped her palms around Lilica¡¯s cheeks.


    It felt good when cold hand touched her eyes, which were heated from crying.


    Lilica could feel the coolness of the summer night air from her mother¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Lily, Mom is¡­¡±


    Ludia didn¡¯t know what to say, so she stared into her daughter¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t protect me now. Mom is alright.¡¯


    ¡®Ah, not something like this, but more.¡¯


    ¡®Something more.¡¯


    Ludia spoke slowly.


    ¡°So Lily has always been protecting Mom. Thank you, Lilica. I¡¯m sorry for being unaware.¡±


    Lilica held her breath. Tears poured out of her round eyes again.


    Ludia slowly wiped away the tears, which were dripping down like pearls.


    At the sight of her mother¡¯s kind smile, Lilica¡¯s trembling lips opened.


    Only a single word came out of them.


    ¡°Momm¡­¡±


    Ludia drew Lilica into her arms.


    ¡°Yes, yes, You¡¯ve worked hard. Baby, I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t know. Hm?¡±


    Ludia spoke repeatedly as her daughter sobbed in her embrace.


    As her tears came to a stop, Ludia wiped her cheeks and said.


    ¡°Now Mom wants to protect Lily. Lily has been protecting me for a while, so now can you let Mom protect you? My precious Lilica. My treasure. I can do my best because of Lilica.¡±


    Lilica hiccuped and nodded. The hand that my mother held was soft.


    A hand that patted her on the back, a gentle voice


    The joy of being recognised and the relief that she wouldn¡¯t be abandoned were mixed, and Lilica fell into slumber at once.


    A childlike figure, Ludia smiled. Now, her daughter was heavy, but it¡¯s alright if happiness was heavy.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom¡¯s here.¡±


    Ludia smiled at her daughter, who was murmuring in her arms.


    After confirming that Lilica was completely asleep, Ludia whispered quietly.


    ¡°Lily, Mom has learned a lot from Lily. But at that time, I didn¡¯t know how wonderful it was. Because I was ignorant, so I disregarded and trampled on it.¡±


    Normally, people don¡¯t want to admit their faults. They didn¡¯t want the choices they made to be negated.


    That¡¯s all the more the case if the other party was someone that you disregarded.


    As such, she didn¡¯t know then.


    No, even if she was aware, she still ignored it.


    ¡°Mom wasn¡¯t the only one raising Lily, Lily also raised Mom.¡±


    Ludia tightened her embrace around the daughter that¡¯s in her arms. She was a fool.


    If it weren¡¯t for the sight of her daughter dying before her eyes, if it weren¡¯t for how she burned to death on the stake, she would have been a foolish person that didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡®That¡¯s why, this time, I must.¡¯


    She doesn¡¯t know how the opportunity came about.


    Perhaps she was still on fire, and it was all an illusion.


    Even if that was the case, it didn¡¯t matter.


    She intended to do her utmost no matter the circumstances.


    Just then, Brynn approached quietly and asked.


    ¡°Your Majesty the Empress, shall I take the Princess?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll take her to the bed like this.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    When she left the bedroom, Atil was pacing in circles.


    ¡°Thank you, Atil.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Atil shook his head. He didn¡¯t seem to be of much help. Ludia smiled slightly.


    ¡°No, I was able to hear Lily¡¯s story because she came to Atil. If it weren¡¯t for Atil, Lily would have been all alone. I¡¯m glad that she has an older brother like Atil.¡±


    Atil closed his mouth awkwardly and averted his gaze.


    Ludia tilted her head, wondering why he was frowning when she¡¯d complimented him, but the door opened then. Everyone¡¯s gazes turned towards it.


    Altheos surveyed the people standing within.


    Except for him, the whole family was gathered. Flustered, Atil wondered what to say, but Altheos walked over and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s also my daughter.¡±


    Ludia frowned slightly, but there was nothing she could say to refute. She can¡¯t say, ¡®She¡¯ll only be your daughter for eight years anyways.¡¯


    Lilica was sleeping so soundly that she didn¡¯t stir while being moved into Altheos¡¯s arm.


    Altheos ruffled Atil¡¯s hair with a hand. Atil was surprised and stiffened.


    ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    A stiff answer came out. Ludia knew why Atil expressed his affection with head pats.


    ¡®So that¡¯s how this person does it.¡¯


    But he has never patted her head before. Ludia thought to herself.


    ¡®That¡¯s a relief. If not, I definitely would have bitten off that hand.¡¯


    She spoke to Atil.


    ¡°Have a good rest now. I¡¯m sorry to have disturbed your sleep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    From a while back, Atil has only been giving stupid answers¡ªnever-ending not at alls and it¡¯s alrights¡ªbut it was difficult to give the right answer.


    Altheos strode out with Lilica in his arms, followed by Ludia.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Ludia peered at Lilica, who was in Altheos¡¯ arms. Her reddened eyelids from crying so much made her look rather pitiful.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t know Lily had such thoughts.¡¯


    She kept feeling a little strange.


    She kept thinking that she should protect Lilica, but she didn¡¯t think that Lilica would protect her.


    ¡®But when she thought about it, it was true that Lilica protected me. It¡¯s an irrefutable truth.¡¯


    She was living to her fullest because of her. She tried her best to live an honest life, and tried her best to become a good person.


    It¡¯s because she wanted to be a good mother to her.


    There were times when she thought that Lilica was a burden.


    Such was the case before she burned at the stake.


    She was a burden to Ludia, and it¡¯s only natural that she should obtain something from her for the hard time that Lilica has put her through.


    But Lily had only given her something. She didn¡¯t know what it was then.


    Ludia smiled faintly.


    Altheos looked down at that face.


    It was a smile that he¡¯d never seen before.


    Unnamed emotions surged up and disappeared. Altheos let out a soft sigh.


    He said so.


    ¡°Was it meaningful, a gathering of everyone aside from me?¡±


    ¡°Is it meaningful for you to speak in such a manner?¡±


    Ludia replied. Altheos spoke grumpily.


    ¡°But it¡¯s the truth.¡±


    A crooked human.


    Ludia thought so. At the same time, she sympathised with him, but it was just a tiny amount.


    A lithe and great dragon that breathed fire and air, and lived on a different level from humans.


    ¡ª Once a human being.


    He now possessed a body that¡¯s easily broken and a mind narrowed from the whirl of emotions.


    ¡®Yes, let¡¯s be understanding.¡¯


    Ludia had such thoughts as she spoke slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s more meaningful to be together.¡±


    Altheos glanced at her. An expression of wanting to ascertain the truth was on his face.


    Ludia chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re rather interested in the children these days. I¡¯ve made a request to the emperor, but to think that you¡¯re still leaving things as it is.¡±


    ¡°I only said that I¡¯d protect you.¡±


    When she heard justifying words, Ludia fell silent. In fact, the emperor he¡¯d raised was rather outstanding.


    Except for the fact that he had a wrecked personality.


    Well, a good emperor isn¡¯t synonymous with having a good personality.


    ¡®Though I think the future would have been great. I wouldn¡¯t know, since I died.¡¯


    He was such a despicable emperor that she hated at the time, but now Atil was just a child.


    A boy that was as young as her daughter.


    ¡°As much as possible, please protect his feelings.¡±


    Altheos mused over Ludia¡¯s words and replied.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll take it into consideration.¡±


    What¡¯s going on? He¡¯s being so docile.


    Ludia tilted her head. Altheos laid Lilica on the bed after entering the bedroom.


    Altheos brushed aside Ludia¡¯s offer to watch from the side.


    ¡°You¡¯re also exhausted from today.¡±


    Someone that has experienced the chaos in the grand theatre being on the fire should go and rest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remain by her side.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ludia looked at Altheos with a dissatisfied expression. Altheos spoke again.


    ¡°In any case, am I not the father now?¡±


    Ludia hesitated and sighed at Altheos¡¯s insistent words.


    She¡¯s probably about to doze off, so she¡¯d better take a nap and check up on Lilica in the morning.


    It should be fine to leave her to him for a while.


    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s switch turns in the morning.¡±


    After saying that, Ludia caressed Lilica¡¯s forehead once and left.


    Altheos sat in a chair and fell into deep contemplation as he gazed at Lilica¡¯s face.


    ¡®A fire in the grand theatre.¡¯


    He knew that Barat was behind it. It wasn¡¯t that weird either.


    It was a human habit to want to go up if there¡¯s a higher position, and Barat was originally quite jealous.


    He could still remember the first Barat.


    ¡®Ridiculous.¡¯


    Why were those memories still so clear, even now?


    Then, he detected a sign of movement from the door. When he turned around, Atil was standing in front of an opened door with a flustered face.


    Altheos rubbed his brow tiredly and asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°What it¡¯s nothing, you¡¯re here in the middle of the night.¡±


    Words sprang forth like he was being interrogated.


    ¡°Well, just in case.¡±


    He came to look for her in case Lilica woke up in the middle of the night or had a nightmare.


    If he knew that his uncle was present, he wouldn¡¯t have come looking for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Just as he was about to give his greetings, Altheos beckoned.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Atil paused, closed the door, and stood in front of Altheos. Altheos spoke.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring a chair over and sit down?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Atil brought a chair and sat beside him. It was rather awkward and frustrating.


    A dim light reflected Lilica¡¯s sleeping face.


    While his gaze was fixated on there, Altheos opened his mouth first.


    ¡°When your father visited me, who was in the desert.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Astonished, Atil turned his head in his direction. It was his first time hearing a story about his father from Altheos¡¯ mouth.


    ¡°I told him to leave because I didn¡¯t want to. And yet he was desperate.¡±


    Tired of humans, Altheos lived in the desert.


    As he hid away in the land that fugitives lived in, they managed to locate him.


    It must have been quite difficult for the emperor to leave the palace. Even more so when Barat¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    ¡°So I was eventually dragged to the palace and met a younger you.¡±


    Atil concentrated on the story without turning his gaze away.


    ¡°To protect you until you grow up and become the emperor. I was asked to do so by him, and I made a promise.¡±


    Atil hesitated and said.


    ¡°When Father died, he told me to consider Uncle as my father.¡±


    ¡°Did he say something like that? Hah.¡±


    Altheos let out a short sigh like he felt slightly deflated.


    He reached out and rubbed the back of Atil¡¯s head. Atil shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a proper human being. But when I look at you, I don¡¯t think the outcome was that bad.¡±


    According to Ludia, the worst thing was knowing that and yet not trying to become a proper human being.


    He chuckled, as that was a fact.


    Why would he want to be a proper human being? It¡¯s not like he became a human because he wanted to.


    ¡®Even so.¡¯


    He removed his hand from Atil¡¯s head. Atil looked like he was suppressing something.


    The tips of his ears were dyed red.


    Altheos laughed softly.


    These days, he doesn¡¯t think that it¡¯s a bad thing to be a human.


    ¡°¡­¡­Your Majesty¡­¡­?¡±


    Lilica opened her eyes, perhaps because she was awoken by the sound of laughter.


    Altheos said as he looked at the hazy eyes that were looking in this direction while mumbling.


    ¡°Sleep for a while longer.¡±


    Her hazy eyes wandered around, before reaching Atil.


    She grinned and patted on the pillow beside her.


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Flustered, Atil began looking at Altheos¡¯s mood.


    Lilica, who was falling asleep, quickly lost her patience.


    ¡°Atill~¡±


    The end of her words drooped while her eyes closed. She patted the pillow next to her again with closed eyes.


    When Atil rose awkwardly from his seat, Altheos asked.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, about that.¡±


    Atil gulped down his saliva and said. For some reason, it felt like his and Lilica¡¯s secret was being exposed.


    ¡°To sleep together¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Altheos stood up without pondering much.


    ¡°That would be nice, too.¡±


    He lay next to Lilica. And spoke to Atil, who was standing there dazedly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to lie down?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m lying down now.¡±


    Atil circled around the bed and climbed in from the opposite side.


    Lilica¡¯s bed was wide enough for three people to lie down, but it wasn¡¯t wide enough to feel distant.


    ¡°Ehehehe¡ª¡±


    Lilica laughed, as she felt the weight of the bed moving with her eyes closed.


    Atil is next to her. And on the other side is His Majesty?


    If it was a dream, it¡¯s a good dream.


    It would have been better if her mother was present.


    How many times could she sleep with her mother in real life?


    As she found a sense of stability with the body temperatures and breathing, Lilica fell into slumber once again.


    Ludia, who came to exchange shifts the next morning, folded her arms.


    ¡®Why is Atil here?¡¯


    And why are the three of them sleeping in the same bed?


    ¡®That¡¯s my daughter.¡¯


    She felt sullen.


    However, the sight of Lilica¡¯s peacefully sleeping face made her dismiss the idea of waking her up.


    Besides, isn¡¯t this a relatively rare sight?


    She¡¯d even wanted to call for an artist to leave a sketch.


    She approached Altheos, and the hand she extended was pulled by him at once.


    ¡°?!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t even scream, wary of waking the children. Altheos hugged her waist and asked.


    ¡°Is it morning¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still dawn, and you¡¯re sleeping in my daughter¡¯s bed.¡±


    Ludia whispered quietly, and Altheos closed his eyes momentarily like he was organising his thoughts, and then rose.


    ¡°Gosh.¡±


    He got up slowly, and glanced back to see the sleeping forms of Atil and Lilica.


    He brushed up his hair and let go of Ludia.


    Ludia held in the urge to tease him with, ¡°You seem to have gotten such a great rest,¡± and looked at Atil and Lilica.


    She wondered if it¡¯s alright for them to be too close.


    She¡¯d told Lilica not to get close to the next emperor, as he was too good a connection.


    When Lilica eventually steps down from the position of princess, would he become a strong backer?


    ¡°Are we changing shifts?¡±


    When Altheos got up from his seat and asked, Ludia shook her head.


    ¡°I think Atil will be quite embarrassed to see me present.¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t have slept so well that he didn¡¯t even know that someone else had entered.¡±


    ¡°Should you be saying that?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he deep in slumber until she approached him?


    ¡°I¡¯m strong.¡±


    Ludia pointed out Altheos¡¯ words.


    ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s why he¡¯s relaxing his guard for the first time in a long while.¡±


    It meant that because Atil was sleeping with him, he was able to sleep deeply.


    He mulled over Ludia¡¯s words and found that she wasn¡¯t wrong, so Altheos kept his mouth shut. Ludia spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together if you have the time.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Altheos left the bedroom. Ludia looked at her daughter¡¯s sleeping face for a brief moment before leaving the room.


    * * *


    ¡°Diare Wolfe?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another impressive choice.¡±


    Atil and Pi, who she was having breakfast with, spoke alternately.


    Lilica looked at them both alternately and asked.


    ¡°Is she someone famous?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have a name in Wolfe? You¡¯re still going to have her as a conversational partner?


    ¡°Her Majesty the Empress must have a plan.¡±


    Pi tilted his head as he said that.


    He has yet to discern the reason Diare Wolfe was her conversational partner.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What kind of person is she?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡ª¡±


    Atil folded his arms and was about to say something, but Pi waved his hand.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve only heard rumours. I think it¡¯s best for you to meet her in person and ascertain it with your eyes.¡±


    Also, there was another from the Wolfe clan that¡¯s present.


    Lauv Wolfe stood silently like a shadow, but his gaze didn¡¯t leave Lilica.


    It was akin to a hound looking at its guardian, who was holding a snack.


    Whether it¡¯s the Sols or the Wolfes, they were loyal, but the conclusion was completely different.


    As such, it¡¯ll be better to be a little cautious of what they say.


    At Pi¡¯s words, Atil¡¯s face turned dissatisfied and he spoke while moving his tomatoes to Lilica¡¯s plate.


    ¡°After seeing her in person, let me know if she¡¯s no good.¡±


    Lilica didn¡¯t hate tomatoes, so she gave him his favourite sausages instead.


    This time, Atil slipped her the bell peppers.


    As that was unacceptable, Lilica returned the bell peppers back to him and pondered.


    Just what kind of person was she?


    The members of the Wolfe family that she¡¯d met were good people, and she liked them all.


    As such, she had a vague positive feeling about Diare.


    ¡®As she¡¯s supposed to be a conversational partner.¡¯


    Fjord also asked to be her conversational partner.


    Lilica was rather willing to do that.


    She looked at Atil.


    ¡°Atil.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Why do you dislike Fjord?¡±


    Someone took a sharp inhale.


    Atil replied to Lilica, feeling annoyed by that sound.


    ¡°If I die, that punk will ascend the throne.¡±


    ¡°What? But he¡¯s a Barat, isn¡¯t he?


    Can he still become the emperor, when he isn¡¯t a Takar?


    Lilica tilted her head, and Atil explained.


    ¡°Aside from me, the one holding the highest rank in the imperial family is Fjord. To give you a rough explanation, his father is my uncle.¡±


    Although he¡¯s dead.


    Additionally, Barat in itself held deep familial ties with the imperial family, so Fjord may be closer to a pureblood than Atil in terms of legitimacy.


    As his mother wasn¡¯t a blueblood, and someone from the lower ranks of the aristocracy.


    At those remarks, Pi let out a, ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, that isn¡¯t the case anymore.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, after Your Highness, it¡¯s Princess Lilica.¡±


    Atil¡¯s knife paused in its motion. Lilica tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s a Takar? Isn¡¯t power a requirement?¡±


    Tan had mentioned something like that before, but at that time, she didn¡¯t know about power.


    ¡°It would be best if he possessed both, but Takar would be considered first anyways.¡±


    Lilica nodded at Pi¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m the second.¡±


    As it was a confident declaration, Atil and Pi found it amusing.


    Lilica didn¡¯t have much of an opinion. In any case, there¡¯s no way she can be the emperor.


    She¡¯ll leave in eight years. But if she was a true Takar, she would definitely be self-confident.


    Pi was lost in thought.


    He didn¡¯t even realise it, but after coming to a realisation again, he had strange thoughts.


    What Pi was worried about was the birth of a child between the empress and the current emperor.


    He promised to hand over the throne to Atil, but his mind can change as much as he wants when he has a child of his own.


    But there was Lilica.


    Pi didn¡¯t notice it from the beginning, but the minds of the Barats, which were rather focused on the succession to the throne, would have worked faster.


    ¡®In order for Fjord to ascend smoothly, it would be better to get rid of the princess. Ah, come to think of it, marrying Fjord and the princess wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea, right? Since she wasn¡¯t a Takar while being a Takar. But the Duke of Barat will boil with rage if the blood was muddied.¡¯


    It was a pleasant figment of imagination, but Atil wouldn¡¯t leave him alone if he heard about this, so Pi just imagined it.


    If the emperor adopted Lilica as a foster daughter to use her as a card, it would be a pretty good political plan.


    ¡®In that case, would Barat kill her? Our princess.¡¯


    Simple thoughts such as ¡®I wouldn¡¯t like that¡­¡¯ surged in his mind.


    Pi decided to erase the plan to use Lilica from his mind for the time being.


    In addition to being a precious being that he could treat comfortably, Atil also showed a good change because of her.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to opt for the protecting path.¡¯


    Pi smiled at that thought, and Lilica, who met his gaze, gave him a smile.


    Pi couldn¡¯t help but smile again.


    ¡°That Diare Wolfe won¡¯t pose a problem for our princess either.¡±


    Pi Sandar made a rare boast.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Diare Wolfe was a lovely girl with long pink hair and deep green eyes.


    She was small and petite, making her seem younger than her age.


    She was wearing an apprentice knight¡¯s uniform, and although it matches well with her, the long sleeved uniform of a civil servant seemed to suit her better.


    Even so, her stubbornness was evident.


    Under the midday sunlight of the garden, her green eyes looked just like resplendent jade.


    Lilica liked Diare at first glance.


    ¡°Diare Wolfe gives Her Highness the Princess her greetings.¡±


    With a bright voice, Lilica greeted Diare, who gave her a polite greeting.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too.¡±


    Diare straightened her slouched back. She asked after stealing a glance at Lauv, who was standing behind Lilica.


    ¡°May I ask you a question, Princess?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Why did you choose me as your conversational partner?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Lilica answered frankly. Majority of problems are solved with honesty.


    ¡°Mother recommended Diare.¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty the Empress?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay with you, princess? If you intend to make a connection with the Wolfe family, there are many other children aside from me.¡±


    At those careless words, Lilica tilted her head and asked.


    ¡°Diare, do you, perhaps, not want to be my conversational partner?¡±


    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡±


    ¡°You do.¡±


    Diare shut her mouth at Lilica¡¯s words. Then, Lilica laughed at the increased stubbornness on her face.


    She smiled and spoke seriously.


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time having a conversational partner. Although Diare is older than me, it¡¯s my first time making a friend in the palace, so I¡¯m very excited.¡±


    [T/N: the word for friend here is only used with people of the same age, and there¡¯s a different term for older/younger people.]


    However.


    Lilica took a deep breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what mindset Diare was having while coming over. But Diare also has a choice.¡±


    Being invited as a conversational partner for a member of the imperial family was a kind of honour, and at the same time, it was a duty that cannot be refused.


    But right now, Princess Lilica was saying it was alright for her to refuse.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    An innocent question sprang up.


    From a while ago, it was a series of scenes where others would shout, ¡°How rude,¡± when they heard it.


    Lilica laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to become friends reluctantly.¡±


    It was for a simple reason.


    Lilica continued.


    ¡°¡¯Because I¡¯ll benefit from being by her side as she¡¯s the princess, because I¡¯m curious about what would happen around the young princess, or because I like her.¡¯ Any reason is fine. Because the starting point can be anything. But I don¡¯t want to have a beginning with someone that doesn¡¯t want to have a beginning.¡±


    It was something that could be fully understood.


    Diare looked blankly at the princess, who was much smaller than her, and said.


    ¡°Why do you think of yourself as a Takar, princess?¡±


    At last, Brynn was unable to resist and shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re being disrespectful. Watch your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Brynn, I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Lilica pulled on Bryn¡¯s skirt with a smile as she said that. She then spoke to Diare.


    ¡°It¡¯s because His Majesty made me a Takar.¡±


    Diaree frowned and sighed.


    ¡°Then what about you, princess? Does the princess like me? Are you reluctantly taking me as your conversational partner because the empress told you to do so?¡±


    Lilica looked closely at Diare and replied.


    ¡°No, I like Diare very much.¡±


    Diare¡¯s cheeks flushed at those words. She seemed quite angry.


    ¡°I know that I¡¯ve been disrespectful thus far.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you wanted to be honest, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Although her method was very clumsy, the final question could be viewed as a worry from a certain angle.


    Although someone said that it was alright to be a conversational partner, even so, Lilica wanted a conversational partner that would become her real friend.


    Diare¡¯s question was quite reasonable.


    Why did she choose her, why was she giving her a choice, and was she perhaps doing this reluctantly.


    She wasn¡¯t being disrespectful while pretending to be honest, but Diare¡¯s way of showing consideration for Lilica.


    Lilica¡¯s words caused Diare¡¯s shoulders to slump.


    ¡°You¡¯re very mature, princess.¡±


    Lilica looked perplexed at her remark.


    ¡°Do you dislike it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When Diare asked again out of astonishment, Lilica let out a soft sigh and said.


    ¡°There are some that dislike it when I act like an adult. Those words aren¡¯t like a child.¡±


    It¡¯s not like a child.


    It was repulsive.


    Speaking precociously. A cunning child.


    It is better for a child to be like a child.


    Lilica has heard countless such stories. She kept her mouth shut up.


    ¡°But they don¡¯t like it when I¡¯m like a child.¡±


    Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be loved just because you¡¯re a child.


    You have to take care of your own matters.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let it slide just because you¡¯re a child.


    Work is work, why can¡¯t you understand that?


    She¡¯d been living amongst such people with a smile on her face.


    It was up to the adults. As such, she didn¡¯t know what to do with a same-aged friend.


    Diare opened her mouth after listening to Lilica¡¯s words, but a person popped out from the side with a rustle and said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about those that say that. Princess.¡±


    ¡°Lat?¡±


    Lilica was surprised by the appearance of someone unexpected. Lat was holding a large scroll in his arms.


    He smiled and gave his greetings.


    ¡°I greet the princess.¡±


    Lilica also greeted him directly. She didn¡¯t expect to meet Lat in the garden.


    ¡°It¡¯s wrong to eavesdrop.¡±


    Then, Diare told Lat. She¡¯d even raised her eyebrows and folded her arms.


    Her insistent appearance with a small frame seemed rather confident, but her words and actions towards the chancellor of the empire were rather rude.


    Lat laughed at the sight, saying, ¡°As expected.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eavesdrop on you, but it¡¯s because you came in this direction while I was resting.¡±


    ¡°You were resting?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was sick and tired of His Majesty bossing me around, so I was slacking off for a short while.¡±


    Although that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case at all, Lilica nodded, thinking that that might be the case.


    Lat said.


    ¡°Anyways, you don¡¯t have to worry about what you¡¯ve mentioned earlier. Those people were just speaking idly towards the weak as they pleased.¡±


    Lat smiled.


    ¡°They¡¯re unable to win with logic, so they attack the other party¡¯s personality. What a trashy way of doing things.¡±


    ¡°Trashy¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The words that the princess said at the time weren¡¯t incorrect. You must have said the right thing. Since they were unable to refute, they¡¯d just say things like ¡®You¡¯re being too much,¡¯ and ¡®You¡¯re unlike a child.¡¯¡±


    Lat spoke in an annoyed tone, before smiling.


    ¡°We, who are smart, would endure for a while, and just slowly step on them little by little after becoming a high-ranking person. It¡¯s the same reasoning as ¡®I can¡¯t hear you because you¡¯re bald.¡¯¡±


    At that moment, Lilica chuckled.


    It was because the person that told her that was actually bald.


    ¡°You can tell them that it¡¯s because of that personality of yours that your hair ran off.¡±


    Lilica asked.


    ¡°Did Lat do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Lat smiled gracefully.


    The smile made Lilica think that Lat looked like Pi, but also like Diare that¡¯s before her.


    He then sighed quietly and said.


    ¡°Here comes the annoying guy. I¡¯ll be on my way then. I hope that you¡¯ll have a great day.¡±


    After giving his greetings, Lat left hurriedly.


    ¡°The annoying guy?¡±


    Out of the people Lilica knows, only one person described Lat as a nuisance.


    After a short while, Tan appeared as well. He greeted Lilica lightly.


    ¡°By any chance, have you seen Lat? He must have passed by in this direction.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he just passed by.¡±


    Lilica¡¯s words made him click his tongue. He then reached out towards Diare, who frowned immediately and ducked away.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t touch my hair.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Eek,¡± Tan pulled back his hand and looked at Lauv. ¡°No,¡± Lauv said with a serious expression.


    Lilica laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with it.¡±


    Tan grinned at her words.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, because I might get in trouble with His Majesty if I pat the princess¡¯ head in a place where everyone is watching. Well then, please take good care of Diare.¡±


    When Diare frowned at that remark, Tan quickly sidestepped away with a ¡°Eek.¡±


    He disappeared and Lilica asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like Tan¡¯s care?¡±


    ¡°I want to gain my position with my own power, and not with the family head¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Lilica nodded when Diare asked in surprise.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s hard to stand with your own power.¡±


    Diare smiled slightly. She became serious again and spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a full Wolfe, my princess.¡±


    Lilica tilted her head.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°My father is a Sandar. He and my mother weren¡¯t officially married, and my mother gave me to the Wolfe castle when she gave birth to me. So I¡¯m half-Sandar. And born out of wedlock at that. Would it still be alright if I became your conversational partner?¡±


    Is that something very important?


    While Lilica had such a question, this was probably an important issue for Diare.


    Lilica spoke earnestly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Diare smiled.


    ¡°Then I also want to be the princess¡¯ conversational partner.¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    As she let out an exclamation, Lilica grabbed her hand tightly. Diare added with an embarrassed smile.


    ¡°And I have a nickname.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Do friends call each other by their nicknames?


    Lilica waited for Diare¡¯s next words with a pounding heart.


    ¡°¡¯Diare the uncompromising¡¯ That¡¯s my nickname.¡±


    * * *


    The Wolfe family¡¯s townhouses were always bustling.


    ¡°I heard that you became the Princess¡¯ conversational partner?¡±


    ¡°Little one? Oh, our little one has made a mark for herself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me little one, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Of course the little one is called little one, oof.¡±


    The Wolfe family¡¯s children avoided Diare¡¯s kick and ran off in a swarm.


    Diare went upstairs huffily.


    Her room was simple.


    Desk, closet, bed.


    That was all, but it was still a space that was hers. She pulled out her chair and sat down at her desk.


    ¡®Why am I still so small?¡¯


    She puffed up her cheeks.


    While the children didn¡¯t particularly bully Diare, they looked down on her.


    She was tired of everyone stroking her hair. She also hated it when others called her cute.


    She¡¯s small and cute and weak, screw that.


    She had to be more aggressive and shout louder than everyone else in order to get what she wanted.


    Whenever she does that, she¡¯ll hear words like, ¡°As expected of someone with Sandar¡¯s blood, that¡¯s why she¡¯s different.¡±


    But on the other hand, the Sandars saw her and said, ¡°As expected, Wolfe¡¯s blood flows through her.¡±


    Her last name is Wolfe, but she felt scared when she thought that she should have gone to Sandar because of her petiteness.


    But there obviously wouldn¡¯t be a place for her in Sandar too.


    If she got angry about it, it became annoying as she looked ¡°cute¡± instead of being intimidating.


    As such, she could only speak and behave more roughly than others.


    As a result, she was called ¡®Diare the uncompromising¡¯ for some reason.


    ¡®What a disgraceful nickname.¡¯


    Even though that was her opinion, she couldn¡¯t stand it all the time. A certain amount of anger was always contained within her heart.


    She knew that it was a funny nickname, but she wanted to confide in the princess, her conversational partner


    Diare was curious about what she would say.


    However, when she heard Diare¡¯s story, she made a mysterious humming sound. After a while, she just briefly said, ¡°I see.¡±


    The princess didn¡¯t say anything else about it.


    ¡®The princess is¡­¡¯


    Diare attached her cheek onto the desk lightly.


    Her brown hair was rich and attractive.


    Her eyes were a sparkling turquoise, and held the tint of the mysterious Lake Rudin.


    ¡°She¡¯s just like a dryad.¡±


    Within the Wolfe County¡¯s fief lay a deep coniferous forest.


    As she walked amongst the ancient trees of the coniferous forest, which was called the Black Forest, she felt a sense of awe.


    Trees that stood like pillars supporting the sky.


    The dryad from the fairy tales gave a wise, beautiful, and secretive smile.


    Diare thought that the tree fairies from her imagination looked very similar to the princess.


    ¡®No, if she¡¯s a little taller.¡¯


    When she grows taller, her brown hair grows past her knees, and her eyes deepens.


    She¡¯ll become exactly like a dryad from the illustrations.


    She had to give a report once a day, but she couldn¡¯t write things like that there.


    The words that Diare could use were words like she¡¯d become the princess¡¯ friend. Those were the only words she could use.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like the princess was an actual Takar either.¡¯


    How can she be so confident?


    Diare jumped up from her seat.


    This kind of lukewarm imagination doesn¡¯t suit her. Swinging a sword suited her much better than that.


    ¡°Swing the sword a thousand times.¡±


    If she swung her sword until she¡¯s completely exhausted, her worries and thoughts would vanish into the distance.


    Diare found that rather agreeable.


    Suddenly, Diare thought of Lauv, who stood behind the princess like a shadow.


    ¡®I have to be much stronger.¡¯


    After setting a short-term goal, she clenched her fist.


    * * *

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    ¡°Imperial territory?¡±


    Lilica¡¯s eyes widened.


    She looked up while cleaning the ink bottle in the office, internally wondering what it meant.


    Altheos passed her a piece of parchment like the pile of gold coins he¡¯d given her a while ago.


    ¡°You¡¯re also a princess, so you should at least own some land. Do your best.¡±


    Land?


    Imperial territory?


    Lilica shook her head. There are things that she can do and there¡¯s things that she can¡¯t do.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even tried though?¡±


    ¡°Even without trying, I can¡¯t do the things that I can¡¯t do.¡±


    No matter how she thought about it, it was impossible for her. A grin appeared on Altheos¡¯ face.


    ¡°Knowing this much is sufficient.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°As long as you know that you can¡¯t do it, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    He extended the parchment to her again. Lilica¡¯s eyes swirled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it, what will happen to the people that live there? I can¡¯t take responsibility for them.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this? So you do know that you have to be responsible for those people.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± and he used the end of the rolled up parchment to poke her forehead.


    Lilica gulped, and Lat said from beside her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it all by yourself, Princess.¡±


    Lilica looked back at him. Lat spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯ll definitely be hard for the princess to govern by yourself. Why don¡¯t you look at those that know how to govern? You can choose someone to seek advice from.¡±


    Lilica¡¯s face turned gloomy. Is there anyone that she can ask for help from?


    ¡°Then there¡¯s only Lat¡­¡±


    At Lilica¡¯s words, Lat blinked and laughed.


    ¡°Well, I can also give you some advice. Additionally, the land that the princess would receive, which you¡¯ll be able to tell once you look at it, isn¡¯t anything extraordinary.¡±


    Lilica was relieved to hear that the land wasn¡¯t much.


    ¡°Even if you mess it up, the incurred losses wouldn¡¯t be too great.¡±


    ¡°I told you so.¡±


    Altheos poked her forehead with the rolled parchment again, and Lilica received it.


    Her hands shook.


    Lat watched as she received the scroll. The corners of his mouth drew into an arc.


    ¡°Congratulations, my princess.¡±


    For some reason, Lilica felt that she definitely couldn¡¯t accept such congratulations.


    ¡°Lat¡­¡±


    She opened her mouth. Lat waited for her following words quietly.


    Lilica looked up at Lat.


    ¡°Lat doesn¡¯t think that I¡¯ll do well.¡±


    After spitting it out, Lilica stammered, ¡°Ah,¡± and explained immediately.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not trying to say anything to Lat. Well, I mean.¡±


    Lilica groaned, wondering how she should explain, while Lat blinked before smiling.


    ¡°That¡¯s because very few people are good at it from the get-go. No matter what it is, everyone learns through failure.¡±


    Although it seemed rather plausible, for some reason, it didn¡¯t move Lilica.


    She mulled over Lat¡¯s words in detail.


    When a person entrusts a matter to another, there is a purpose.


    Some employers would speak vaguely because they didn¡¯t know what kind of person they wanted to hire.


    At that time, it was also Lilica¡¯s job to think, ¡°Why are they hiring me?¡±


    If she didn¡¯t figure that out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to satisfy her employer.


    ¡®But I don¡¯t think Lat will teach me docilely.¡¯


    Was there a hint that he¡¯d given?


    Lilica mused over Lat¡¯s words with a hum.


    ¡ª You can choose someone to seek advice from.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Lilica glanced back at Altheos. His Majesty¡¯s expression was filled with ¡®What,¡¯ and ¡®Why¡¯.


    Lilica sighed and held onto the parchment tightly with both hands.


    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be better to ask Mother for advice.¡±


    Lat smiled.


    ¡°That would also be great.¡±


    ¡®So that was it.¡¯


    Lilica smiled broadly at the thought that she managed to discover the right answer. Altheos said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you didn¡¯t do that, but there¡¯s nothing I can do if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°From various aspects.¡±


    Lat nodded. Lilica kept the parchment properly. She has yet to finish what she had to do, so she intended to finish it all at once.


    She checked the tip of the pen meticulously, and washed the dirtied pen tip with water.


    She felt rather gratified at the sight of glittering rows of coloured ink bottles as well as clean, delicately patterned pen tips placed side by side.


    The trash bin was clean, the folders were also clean, there was sufficient papers and ink.


    Lilica stretched with satisfaction. After taking off the apron and collecting the parchment, Lilica tilted her head and approached Lat proudly.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Lat asked softly.


    ¡°About the words I¡¯d said earlier, ¡®Lat doesn¡¯t think that I¡¯ll do well.¡¯¡±


    Lilica whispered. Lat nodded lightly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything when I said that. Erm, I know that Lat works hard.¡±


    He was always the last to leave work and the first to enter the palace. The documents were quickly settled and meticulous explanations were given.


    ¡°But I found it strange that it was entrusted to me even though you knew I wasn¡¯t capable. Because I¡¯m here, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t know that Lat cares about the Empire.¡±


    But can he say things like it¡¯s alright to mess up the fiefdom?


    And congratulations?


    ¡°That¡¯s why I found it weird.¡±


    Upon hearing Lilica¡¯s words, Lat stared at her and laughed.


    ¡°Oh dear, I don¡¯t carry candy around like Tan does.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I wasn¡¯t asking for something to eat though?¡±


    Lilica¡¯s face flushed in an instant. Lat hurriedly raised his hand at her reaction.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that the princess is saying such things to get candy. What I meant was, my heart, well, it was to the point where I wanted to give you something.¡±


    His heart felt strangely soft. He felt such feelings towards the princess.


    It was really nice knowing that the other party looked straight at him and gave him high praise.


    However, the higher his position, the closer such words were to flattery, but this princess¡¯s words didn¡¯t give him such a feeling.


    For the first time in a long while, Lat Sandar was simply joyful and apologetic at the same time.


    ¡°Thank you, my princess.¡±


    After responding, he turned his head towards Altheos and spoke.


    ¡°Even the princess is aware of how I work all day and night, but I feel like crying suddenly when I think about how His Majesty treats me.¡±


    ¡°Do you want a vacation?¡±


    Lat¡¯s face crumpled instantly at Altheos¡¯s words.


    ¡°I really want to go on one, but I¡¯m quite afraid of going because I can imagine what things will be like when I return.¡±


    ¡°You have no faith in your lord.¡±


    ¡°That faith was taken away by my lord.¡±


    Lilica smiled slightly at the squabbling duo. She took two or three steps back lightly and bowed with vigour.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Altheos rose from his seat. Lat was about to rise from his seat, but he sat back down at this line.


    ¡°Please have a safe journey back.¡±


    Altheos strode over and scooped Lilica up.


    It has been a while since she gave up on such things, so Lilica settled comfortably within his arms.


    In fact, unless she was being carried in someone¡¯s arms frequently, she didn¡¯t dislike it.


    ¡®It¡¯s because if I¡¯m carried around like this frequently, I might not be able to walk around later.¡¯


    That was Lilica¡¯s concern. When they left the office, Lauv and Brynn followed behind them like they had been waiting.


    Altheos asked Lilica.


    ¡°Have you been getting along with Atil?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lilica nodded and added quietly.


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you think you¡¯re getting along well.¡±


    He said such unusual words while walking down the hallway, and whispered when he was setting her in front of her room.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have our first class this evening.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Lilica quickly accepted the slip of paper she was handed.


    ¡°Supplies. I¡¯ll pick you up at night.¡±


    Lilica just nodded without being able to say anything. In other words, she was about to attend a magic class.


    Altheos chuckled at Lilica, who just nodded with flushed cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going off then.¡±


    ¡°Have a cup of tea before going?¡±


    Altheos responded to her polite invitation simply.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like tea.¡±


    And he disappeared in a flash. Lilica was much more concerned about this evening¡¯s class than with the parchment in her hand.


    ¡°Magic class, magic class.¡±


    Her heart raced in her chest. Lilica held the parchment carefully and said,


    ¡°I should go over to Mother first.¡±


    * * *


    The fire in the grand theatre made the headlines daily.


    The illustration depicts how Ludia saved a young maid from the fire bravely.


    The popularity of the new empress soared in an instant.


    ¡®Since the benevolent Empress is from the slums, she is aware of the situation and cares about the people.¡¯


    Now, what was once a subject of ridicule has turned into the subject of cheers.


    Ludia found it rather amusing.


    Money was required to make newspapers, and the contents of the newspaper are often determined by the sponsor that provides financial backing.


    The imperial family also sponsors several different newspapers. It was the same for other aristocrats.


    However, no matter what, the most popular story these days was regarding Ludia.


    There were stories about Her Majesty the Empress¡¯s fashion, how uncomfortable crinoline was, and how everyone that was injured were wearing crinoline.


    Ludia smiled faintly.


    ¡®Now then, what will be the next move from the young ladies of the aristocratic faction?¡¯


    Even if the older noblewomen stuck to crinoline until the end, those that were fashion-conscious would definitely get on board with bustle.


    From the beginning, wasn¡¯t this day the reason she¡¯d pushed forward the bustle style forcibly?


    The imperial faction and the aristocratic faction were divided by the style of their outfits. It made the influence of high society obvious to the eyes.


    ¡®If everyone wears a bustle now, it¡¯ll be my victory.¡¯


    It would seem like high society has bowed its head before the empress.


    Ludia folded the newspaper with a gleeful smile, and the head lady-in-waiting announced Lilica¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°Let her come in.¡±


    Ludia said while putting the newspaper aside.


    Soon, Lilica entered with light steps.


    ¡°Mother.¡±


    With a cute curtsy, Lilica sat next to her mother.


    Ludia hugged Lilica once naturally, and then let her go. Lilica spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Normally, I would have also hugged you tightly, but I¡¯m holding this today.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ludia tilted her head. Lilica extended the parchment out to her.


    ¡°Earlier, His Majesty bestowed me imperial territory.¡±


    Ludia stiffened in place instantly.


    The people around them also paused momentarily and turned their gazes at the parchment simultaneously.


    Ludia asked.


    ¡°Imperial territory? To you? All of a sudden like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I also found it rather strange¡­¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I want to leave it to Mother. I¡¯m young, so Mother can manage it on my behalf, right?¡±


    Lilica handed over the parchment to Ludia. Ludia opened the parchment roughly.


    ¡®Goodness.¡¯


    The contents of the parchment, which had the emperor¡¯s seal, were brief.


    It was about bestowing a portion of the imperial territory to Lilica.


    Ludia bit her lip and asked.


    ¡°Was the Chancellor also present?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lat said congratulations.¡±


    Ludia forced a laugh at Lilica¡¯s words.


    She wanted to crumple up the parchment immediately, but she held it in.


    ¡®No way.¡¯


    She scrutinised the name of the fief again.


    It was a barren land in the north, as expected of imperial territory.


    Under normal circumstances, harvest yields can¡¯t be expected.


    ¡®If Uva comes back soon.¡¯


    Ludia smiled.


    ¡°The Duke of Barat will fly into a fit at the meeting.¡±


    Ludia muttered just like that. Several incidents that were irritating to the aristocratic faction kept happening.


    Of course, she was at the forefront, but what should she do when even Lilica was being used?


    ¡®It¡¯ll be better not to take my eyes off Lat Sandar.¡¯


    A traitor.


    Putting it in this way makes it a simple and concise accusation.


    It was a big deal that the empire¡¯s chancellor pretended to be the emperor and cooperated with the rebels.


    ¡®But the reason behind that is still unknown.¡¯


    At that time, she didn¡¯t know why, and now, she still doesn¡¯t know.


    Regardless of treason or whatever, Ludia intended to run away with Lilica as soon as Atil came of age, but shouldn¡¯t she preserve his life until then?


    ¡°Lily, did you, perhaps, hear any alarm bells ringing because of Lat?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    Lilica whispered with a serious expression.


    ¡°Does Lat also need a talisman?¡±


    ¡°No, then in that case, it should be fine.¡±


    With a grin, Ludia flung the parchment onto the table.


    Lilica looked at that and turned her gaze back towards Ludia.


    ¡°Mother, I want to ask you a question.¡±


    ¡°Mm, what is it?¡±


    As Ludia passed the snack that the head lady-in-waiting brought over to Lilica¡¯s hand, she asked.


    ¡°My conversational partner, can Fjord also be one too?¡±


    ¡°Fjord Barat? As your conversational partner?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is that okay?¡±


    Ludia agonised over Lilica¡¯s words and turned her gaze towards the parchment.


    Since something like that appeared from that side, this side should also be able to do as it pleases.


    ¡°Of course. Mom will send a letter over.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    Lilica cheered and hugged Ludia tightly. Ludia laughed.


    ¡°Are you that happy? Which part of Fjord makes Lily that happy? Indeed, Barats are naturally endowed with the ability to enchant people.¡±


    Lilica tilted her head like she was asking what that meant, and at that, Ludia lifted her teacup and explained.


    ¡°It is said that the founder of the Barat family was an extremely beautiful flower. A flower that attracts and eats people with its sweet scent and appearance.¡±


    At the words, Lilica recalled Fjord. She spoke.


    ¡°But in my eyes, Mother is more beautiful.¡±


    Ludia smiled broadly.


    ¡°Oh, my, this child.¡±


    Her mother, who chuckled and sipped her tea, was as beautiful as a picture.


    Lilica sighed as she watched that scene like she was bewitched.


    ¡®If only I were like my mom.¡¯


    If only I had blonde hair.