The Emperor’s Daughter - Chapter 4

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

My life was screwed.

Anyway, the second thing I found out was that.

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

“Your Majesty.”

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

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

“The captives from Icharta have arrived.”

“Let Ferdel take care of it.”

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

“Oh, wait.”

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

“For now, put them all in the prison camps. I will take care of them.”

“What about the King of Icharta… ”

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

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

“Set a date and execute him.”

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

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

“I feel sorry for you to be born without knowing what kind of man your father is.”

Yeah, that was true. I’m glad he knew that.

“But it would not make any difference.”

Oh, seriously, take me for pity’s sake, please.

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

“I remember the woman who was trying to give birth to you.”

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

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

“You, cry.”

Oh, fuck.

I didn’t really want to swear, but he was pushing me!!

“I heard every baby cry nonstop.”

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

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

“Does your intelligence run a little low?”

Oh, you son of a bitch!

***

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?”

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

Bad memories, disappear!

“Around this time, the weather is always clear and the skies are bright. Even so, when autumn comes, the leaves will drop once they turn red. Then it will be cold again.”

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

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

“Are you feeling uncomfortable, princess?”

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

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

“Why do you look like that, is it so strange outside?”

No, I was just curious about you.

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

“Our dearest princess is so gentle…”

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

“Uwaagh-.”

“Oh, dear. It’s okay.”

“Uwaaagh-.”

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

I rather felt sorry to rely on such kindness.

“Oh, dear, did something got on your eyes?”

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

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

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

“It’s okay. Don’t cry.”

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

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

“Elene will bring yummy food soon. Once she returns, we’ll eat up on that bench there.”

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

Other ordinary babies would have gone out when they were vaccinated at a hospital, or when they were leaving to a relative’s house, or when their mothers have to leave with them. However, the background I grew up in was quite different. In the palace, my own doctor was on standby 24 hours a day in the imperial office, and I couldn’t go to my relatives’ home because I didn’t have any living relatives. Besides, Serira was the one who provided everything for me, she had no qualms even if an urgent event happened, and in an event that she really did need to leave at all cost, someone else was always waiting to take care of me.

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

“Oh, I guess she loves being outside.”

I smiled brightly when Serira’s eyes met with mine. She laughed brightly when I laughed. She looked better now than her usual sad demeanor.

Yeah, now her age was twenty-three. I think it’s good to have a second marriage if the Imperial Law didn’t ban it…

I closed my eyes, thinking I’d try to persuade her later when I got older.

“Serira!”

Oh, Elene.

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

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

Look at her—she’s going to fall.

I was about to kick my tongue and suck at the pacifier, and Elene really fell. Ugh, I didn’t mean to curse.

“Huh?!”

However, the problem wasn’t that she fell, it was because she didn’t fall after she stepped on a her foot wrong. Elene fell. She fell because she ran into someone.

“Princess Feylene?!”

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

“What the hell was that?”

This will be very annoying. I couldn’t even point my forehead, but I wanted to do it. A sigh came out.

This was Caitel’s bad habit. He would bring princesses and loyal ladies from the kingdoms he conquered and play… I mean, abandon them as his concubines.

However, it was a bit weird to pin it down that it’s insulting. It wasn’t about making them their sex moles or sexually abusing them.

“Are you all right, Princess?!”

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

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

“You! How dare you! Do you know who you’re talking to?”

The maids behind her was mad. Serira sighed.

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

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

By the way, was the princess made of glass? Why wasn’t she up yet? I was wondering because it wasn’t a hard fall.

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

Even though she came all the way to Agregiant and was still called a princess, so at least she seemed to be the princess of the Empire. If the king didn’t want to die to Caitel, they would have sent the direct descendants of the king, or they sent all loyal ladies they had. Anyway, her rather mature-looking beauty was beginning to form.

She was elegant. She looked like a Hollywood star.

“What’s your name?”

Her sharp voice was quite nervous.

Elene couldn’t answer, but she fell down in tears.

Oh, dear. Elene, you should be begging on your knees right now. Don’t just stand there!

I frowned as I observed her patheticness. If only I was here with larger body, I’d just ignore them and leave. Unfortunately, I was naught but an infant, and it was Serira who held me. Serira arrived at the place with a light walk.

“I’m sorry, Princess.”

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

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

“She’s a maid under my orders, but she made a grave mistake. Please forgive me.”

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

Were you that scared?

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

“Who are you?”

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

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

“My name is Countess Peistrille from Ivilast, South of Agregiant. I was taking care of princess Ariadna under the Emperor’s command.”

“Ariadna?”