Chapter 11
Karin became strict with Isabel.
Her speech also gradually became stiff.
“You worked hard again today.”
“Did I do well?”
“So-so.”
“Hehe, I got praised.”
“I didn’t praise you.”
“Then praise me next time.”
Karin coldly turned around.
She couldn’t bear to look at the Princess’s brightly smiling face.
Because when she looked at that face, her heart kept melting and becoming soft.
‘Too much talent at too young an age eats away at a person.’
She thought so.
She was afraid that this pure and innocent Princess would be consumed by her devilish talent and go down a bad path.
‘Sir Viaton is already crazy, so I have to keep my wits about me.’
Indeed, Viaton seemed truly crazy.
He was probably the type of person who would overlook even if the Princess committed a serious crime, saying, ‘It’s okay, the Princess is cute.’
Therefore, she decided that she had to be a stricter person.
Sadly, she didn’t know any other way.
Because she had never received an education based on love.
She did her best in her own way.
“Can I fly in the sky if I become a mage?”
“You can fly.”
“High, high?”
“However, it’s not a preferred method. You d*e if you fall.”
“Sca, scary!”
Isabel, as if startled by the firm words, covered her eyes with her hands.
As if scary things wouldn’t be visible if she covered her eyes.
That appearance was so lovely, but the more it was, the more Karin maintained a cold expression.
“We will start formal magic lessons from tomorrow.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best.”
Only after Karin left the room did Isabel let out a big sigh.
‘Wow. I almost got caught being scared.’
She couldn’t look directly into Karin’s eyes when she said, ‘You d*e if you fall.’
It’s a terrifying situation when Karin mentions death.
Even in the novel, Karin used to warn her prey with such words.
‘It was a good thing I covered my eyes.’
Meanwhile, Karin returned to her room.
With a cold expression, she locked the door.
“Silence.”
She cast a spell to block out noise.
“Blind.”
She blocked the light leaking in from outside.
Her room became much darker.
She looked around and walked to the bed, hopping on.
She covered herself with the blanket.
There was something human-shaped inside the blanket.
“Cute! Cute! Cute!”
The human-shaped thing was a doll.
She hugged the doll tightly and poured out the emotions she had barely managed to hold back.
Her fist struck the doll.
“Can I kidnap her?”
Due to the heightened emotions from forcibly holding back, she couldn’t control her mana properly.
Crack- Crackle━!
The doll’s body burst here and there, and cotton popped out.
“How can a person be so cute and adorable?”
Soon, the doll exploded halfway.
Karin exploded all her desires in a secret place and regained her composure.
Today, she resolved to be cold to the Princess again.
* * *
Karin, who had smashed 372 dolls so far, requested an audience with the Emperor.
“I’m going to start formal magic training from tomorrow.”
“I see.”
“She will become quite a talented mage.”
“It’s not surprising since she inherited Bilotian blood.”
Karin felt a strange sense of kinship with the Emperor.
This was a subtle sensation that only those of the same kind could perceive.
‘He’s feeling proud?’
In fact, the Emperor rarely visits Isabel’s room.
Publicly, rumors had spread that the Emperor didn’t cherish Isabel.
It might be a natural rumor since she couldn’t properly learn Bilotian swordsmanship.
‘But that’s not true.’
Today, Karin, who had become a teacher for a parent-teacher conference, could be sure.
‘He’s the same kind as me.’
Actually, the Emperor likes Isabel very much.
‘But he’s the type who desperately hides it.’
Karin, with her excellent observation skills and intuition befitting a final boss, grasped the Emperor.
“There may be some costs associated with magic training.”
“Discuss such trivial matters with Viaton and use your discretion.”
Viaton is crazy about the Princess.
The Emperor is well aware of that fact.
“Does that mean I can understand it as meaning it’s okay to freely spend any amount of budget?”
“I don’t remember saying that.”
Karin grasped another fact.
Although he was the same kind as her, the Emperor hadn’t realized it yet.
Or maybe he was still denying it.
In professional terms, he was experiencing a denial phase.
“Your Majesty, don’t you ask?”
“Ask what?”
“Specifically how much magical talent the Princess has.”
In magic, talent is more important than anything else.
Those without talent cannot rise above a certain level no matter how hard they try.
Karin hadn’t yet told Isabel that she had tremendous magical talent within her.
But the Emperor didn’t seem very curious.
“Is that important?”
“Usually, it’s considered important. It’s also what people are most curious about first.”
“Have you forgotten where this is?”
This is a swordsmanship empire.
A place where a little bit of swordsmanship achievement is valued more than outstanding magical achievement.
Karin nodded and spoke again.
“I forgot about that for a moment. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait.”
Ron asked.
“Is she enjoying it?”
“……”
Karin was silent for a moment because of the unexpected question.
“She smiled brightly while imagining flying in the sky.”
The image of the Princess covering her eyes came to mind.
A faint smile appeared on Karin’s lips.
“I see.”
That’s enough.
It was as if she could hear those words.
Karin was quite shocked.
“I’ve never seen a parent ask that.”
Does she have talent?
Can she do it well?
Can she become an outstanding mage?
Everyone asked that.
No one ever asked if the child was enjoying it.
‘Even I, who have trained in magic for nearly 20 years, have never been asked if I enjoy it.’
In her childhood, she always craved praise.
She had to be acknowledged.
To Karin, magic was nothing more than a tool for recognition and achievement.
“The rumor that Your Majesty hates the Princess is wrong.”
“Is there such a rumor?”
“Yes, there is.”
After that, the Emperor neither confirmed nor denied.
That silence was a strong denial.
“Aren’t you going to correct the misunderstanding?”
“Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to bother correcting such a trivial misunderstanding?”
It was as if he was claiming that he didn’t care about such rumors at all.
Karin nodded.
“That’s true.”
The Emperor’s fingers dug deep into the chair, but Karin didn’t see it.
The armrest of the chair was made of hard metal.
* * *
Summer came.
Countless people flocked to ‘Seoer,’ the capital of the Bilotian Empire.
Because the day the sun rises was approaching.
In other words, the birthday of the Imperial Emperor was approaching.
Delegations from each country and each faction, including the Mirotel Magic Federation, visited the Imperial Palace.
A grand party began.
Ron, the main character, didn’t really like this event that came every year.
Serna adjusted the Emperor’s clothes.
“Your Majesty. You should try to show less that you’re bothered. After all, this is also an important diplomatic event.”
“I understand.”
“Promise me.”
Unable to disobey Serna’s words（?）, Ron reluctantly nodded.
Ron fulfilled his duties as Emperor.
He interacted with the delegations and graced the ballroom with his presence.
‘This is boring.’
He thought it would be better to swing his sword at least once more during this time.
The fact that this incredibly boring banquet would continue for a week was horrifying.
He had excessively good hearing and had to hear the noblewomen whispering about his appearance.
“Your Majesty’s face truly seems to shine.”
“How can someone be so handsome? I want to paint a portrait and keep it as an heirloom.”
The host said.
“Before the gift-giving ceremony, there will be a congratulatory performance by the genius pianist, Sir Lunta.”
The gift-giving ceremony will follow soon.
Expensive jewels and precious spices. Clothes made of rare fabrics and masterpieces made by masters.
The delegations checked the treasures they had brought.
At the same time, Isabel was playing around.
‘A child should play to their heart’s content.’
The best thing after possessing this body was that it didn’t hurt.
She, who had spent her entire life lying in a hospital bed, ran around diligently whenever she had the chance.
The child’s body enjoyed running, and she was happy that it didn’t hurt.
‘This is fun!’
Thanks to that, she became covered in dirt all over, unlike a Princess.
Ruruka chased after Isabel, panting.
Only after Isabel squatted down could Ruruka catch up to her.
“Pant, pant, what are you doing?”
“Nanny, isn’t it pretty?”
A single yellow flower was held in her hand.
Her hair was disheveled, and her hands were covered in dirt.
The Princess’s dignity and decorum were nowhere to be found.
Soot was also smeared on her face, who knows where she got it from.
And she smiled innocently and brightly.
“I can make it shine here too.”
Isabel used the magic she had learned a few days ago to raise her mana.
The flower sparkled.
“I’ll give it to you, Nanny. A pwesent.”
“Thank you! I’ll keep it as an hei……”
But then, something strange happened.
“Nanny?”
Ruruka disappeared.
Only the yellow flower was left where Ruruka had been.
It was as if she had suddenly evaporated somewhere.
“Wow, I never thought I’d find such a treasure here.”
The man’s voice was somehow ominous.
The man’s gaze was directed at Isabel.
