Chapter 24

Viaton sought out the Emperor.

The Emperor didn’t stay in the palace often, but today, he remained to receive Viaton’s report.

Ron noticed that Viaton’s face wasn’t in good shape.

“Your face is a bit injured.”

“You can see that too, Your Majesty?”

The scars weren’t from magic. It meant they weren’t inflicted by Wilhelm.

“Those wounds are……”

“It must be from getting punched, resulting in a black eye, right?”

“Was Wilhelm’s escort a martial artist?”

“Your Majesty, look here too.”

Viaton strode forward and stood before the Emperor.

He pointed at his cheek with his index finger as if acting cute and brought his face closer.

Before their faces got too close, Ron calmly said,
“I’ll cut you if you come any closer.”

“No, look. The palm print here, it’s still there, right?”

It looked as if he had been slapped.

His flesh was almost dented in the shape of a palm.

Ron finally nodded.

“Did you meet with Dailtha?”

“I like Dailtha because she’s always consistent. Talking to her brings back fond childhood memories.”

“……”

“Getting hit a few times really woke me up. I almost had an orbital fracture. Can I sue for this?”

“So…… the mission?”

Ron didn’t seem very interested in Viaton’s injuries（?）.

Viaton stopped joking around, straightened his posture, and began a serious report with a solemn expression.

“That b*stard. He ran away.”

“Ran away?”

“No matter how much I searched for evidence, I couldn’t find any.”

“So?”

Viaton’s eyes flashed with a murderous glint.

“So, I was going to catch him and beat him up.”

If Empress Serna had heard this conversation, she would have clutched her chest in shock.

“What if he’s not the culprit?”

“Then it would be a good warning to the real culprit. I didn’t like Wilhelm from the start anyway. That guy, did you see the way he looked at the Princess at the Gift-Giving Ceremony?”

“I saw it.”

It wasn’t just the Emperor who saw it, nor was it only Viaton.

They both saw the same thing and felt the same way.

That look in Wilhelm’s eyes as he looked at the Princess, filled with greed.

If both of them felt it at the same time, it couldn’t have been a misinterpretation.

“I should have gouged his eyes out. Anyway, he ran away. I’m sorry. I came to report that I lost him.”

“……”Well done.”

“You’re not going to yell at me?”

Ron glanced at Viaton’s face.

Looking closely, it seemed like his lips were also a bit busted.

“It seems you’ve already been severely punished.”

“Oh right, I should tell you this too. The basement storage is frozen solid.”

As a Magic Swordsman, this was a very surprising event for him.

“From what I can see, it doesn’t seem like it was done intentionally. It’s like mana leaked out and caused it.”

Mana naturally moves towards familiar spaces. Cold mana towards cold places.

So, I think the mana caused by the Princess probably gathered in the basement storage.

He didn’t give such a long explanation.

“Was it a mistake by an incompetent mage?”

“My mother said she did that when she was young too.”

“It’s a manifestation of an exceptionally outstanding talent.”

Viaton nodded.

“But the surprising thing is, it seems like it was the Princess’s magic.”

“……”

An awkward silence fell between them.

It was Viaton who was flustered.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“At what point should I be surprised?”

“No, I’m saying the basement storage froze solid, in the middle of summer, not because she intentionally used Freezing Magic, but as a side effect of some other magic. Don’t you get it?”

“So?”

“If just a leak caused this much, it means it’s truly tremendous. Don’t you remember the size of the Arena Palace basement storage? Even if a skilled mage openly used Freezing Magic, it wouldn’t be easy to freeze it like that.”

“So?”

“So, it means the Princess’s innate mana capacity and quality are beyond imagination. Simply put, she’s a genius! And a genius beyond imagination at that!”

Ron silently looked at Viaton.

Viaton, who had been with Ron since childhood, could soon read the look in Ron’s eyes.

“Don’t tell me, you’re thinking, ‘She’s my daughter, of course she’s that amazing. She’s been great since birth,’ or something like that, are you?”

Ron didn’t answer.

This confirmed it.

“You’re thinking, ‘My daughter has always been a genius. She’s been talented since birth.’ Right?”

“……”

Ron flinched in surprise.

Because Viaton had accurately read his mind.

But it was a little embarrassing to completely show it.

However, Viaton’s reaction was a bit unexpected.

“Sigh. I still have a long way to go.”

He deeply reflected.

The Emperor already believed in the Princess.

‘My father isn’t surprised by such trivial things. Because he already deeply acknowledges and accepts how amazing his daughter is. I still have so much to learn!’

“I think I understand why the Princess likes Your Majesty more than me.”

Viaton had a great epiphany.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Winter arrived.

This was the fifth winter I was experiencing.

This world also calculated a year as 12 months, just like Earth, and today was the first day of December.

‘Five years old is almost over.’

It was the last month of being five years old.

Time flew by so fast.

I was still very busy these days.

Because Karin’s return was delayed, I was self-studying various things.

Especially magic formulas and magic theory were the most interesting, so I was studying them without realizing how much time was passing.

Suddenly, I thought of Sir Viaton.

‘I heard Sir Viaton came to the Imperial Palace a few months ago……’

He could have at least seen my face before leaving.

Sir Viaton had left on a business trip somewhere again, as if he was in a big hurry.

He said he received a secret mission or something.

‘Come to think of it, I heard Wilhelm went missing, could it be related to that? Is Karin’s return also delayed because of her adoptive father’s disappearance? What if Karin is plotting something……’

I shook my head vigorously.

What kind of ominous thoughts are these when I have such enjoyable magic formula problems in front of me? I don’t have much time left to live anyway.

I decided to focus only on the present for now.

“Isabel!”

Bang! Bang!

I heard a knock.

It was a very rough knock, but it was still a significant improvement.

At first, he didn’t knock at all.

When he first started knocking, he broke the door several times.

At least now he could control his strength enough to perform the civilized act of knocking.

Knock knock knock.

“Do you want to go sledding with me?”

“Sledding?”

“Yeah. I know a really fun place.”

As soon as I heard the word ‘sledding,’ I got excited.

Playing house is fun, and picture books are good, but sledding?

“I’ve never been sledding before.”

“Come on, it’s not that hard. Just trust your brother.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

“Are we going to build a snowman too?”

“I’ll do that for you, especially.”

My heart almost jumped out of my chest after a long time.

Looking back, I’ve barely experienced snow.

I didn’t even remember touching snow with my own hands.

“Can I be excited?”

“Of course!”

“Then I’ll trust you, brother.”

While my mind found Michael cute, my body found him incredibly reliable.

Michael seen through my mind was a child, but Michael perceived by my body was a strong older brother.

I don’t know how to describe this, but that’s how it was.

However, to Chief Attendant Dailtha, my brother didn’t seem like a trustworthy person at all.

“I can’t allow you to go out without a guardian.”

Sir Lancer pointed at himself.

“I’m the guardian! I’m here.”

“Huh?”

“I’m here.”

“Here?”

“Aren’t I here?”

Sir Lancer received the same criticism every day, but seeing him like this every day, it seemed like he was doing it on purpose.

“Sir Lancer is not trustworthy.”

“I may look like this, but I’m a swordsmanship instructor at the Imperial Palace.”

“No.”

I was about to be very disappointed by the word ‘no.’

But then a savior appeared.

“How about me, my friend, Chief Attendant Dailtha?”

“You son of a…… No, Sir Viaton?”

I was very happy to see Sir Viaton.

I was even happier because I hadn’t seen him last time.

“Teacher!”

I ran to Sir Viaton.

“Your Highness, you’ve become so cute! No, you were always cute, but you’ve become even cuter.”

Sir Viaton hugged me.

My body lifted into the air.

Sir Viaton really knew my taste.

He spun me around while holding me.

I think he spun me around about six times.

‘Ah, thrilling.’

The taste of this spinning was exquisite. It was more fun than a ride.

Well, of course, I’ve never been on a ride, but still.

“I missed you so much, Your Highness.”

Sir Viaton hugged me tightly.

His hug was filled with warm love, and it made me feel very good.

It felt like the sunlight was embracing me.

Ah, I’m glad I got possessed.

“I missed you so much too, Sir Viaton.”

“Really?”

“I was very upset that you left without saying goodbye last time.”

“Ugh!”

Sir Viaton clutched his chest.

I actually heard a thump! from his heart.

It was a ‘heart-fluttering sound’ created with magic.

How can I not like Sir Viaton like this?

“But Your Highness, what is this creature?”

Sir Viaton pointed at his head with his index finger.

A large mouth was biting Sir Viaton’s entire head.

The mouth stretched wide like a snake.

“Ouch! Honey Badger! You can’t do that!”

Michael seemed indifferent and said, “Wow, that works? Should I try stretching mine too?” as he opened his mouth wide.

He seemed curious if he could open his mouth that wide too.

“Is this ill-mannered creature a friend of Your Highness?”

“Yes, he’s my friend.”

“I almost……”

Killed it.

I think I heard that, so I gulped.

I quickly changed the subject.

“Chief Attendant Dailtha, will you allow me to go out with Sir Viaton?”

In the end, I got permission to go out.

For the first time in both my past and present lives, it seemed like I would be able to ride a sled.

My heart pounded with excitement.

Ah, a sled.

My first sled in my life.

My first snowman.

‘But……’

I didn’t know we’d be sledding here.

I think I underestimated our Fourth Prince way too much.