Chapter 14
It had been a really long time since Dad had visited my room.
“Father?”
I remembered Dad’s appearance yesterday.
When he put the flower ring on my finger, Dad’s hands were trembling slightly.
I saw Dad’s face really close up, and even his eyelashes were fluttering.
From that, I could tell.
Dad feels the same way as me.
Thanks to that, it became much easier to interact with Dad.
“It’s been a while!”
“Didn’t we see each other yesterday?”
It was definitely a blunt voice.
But I felt happy just knowing that I had a mom and dad who would visit me, even if it was only occasionally.
When my heart feels warm and fuzzy, I can’t help but act like a child.
“But you don’t come to Isabel’s room often.”
Still, I knew what I knew, so I spoke honestly.
“Isabel is lacking.”
I was really thirsty.
To the point of embarrassment, I longed for my parents’ love.
“Lacking?”
The corners of Dad’s mouth twitched.
I don’t know why he’s happy that his daughter is lacking.
“It seems you know something very precious.”
“……”
Dad had a slight smile, almost like a victor’s.
It’s hard to say exactly what it was, but it was an irritating expression.
Even that irritating expression was so dazzlingly handsome that it made me upset.
My young body, once again out of my control, blurted out my inner thoughts.
“Tch, is being handsome everything?”
“Everything.”
“……Huh?”
“I see clearly that even in your eyes, I look handsome.”
“……”
“Isn’t that right?”
“It’s not not right, but it is right, but……”
Dizzy.
My head felt like it was twisting.
“From now on, just say ‘cool’.”
Even with that arrogant look, my truly arrogant dad was expressionless.
I was a bit confused whether he was joking or serious.
“And I won’t be able to see you for a while.”
“Huh?”
Wow, this dad. His speaking style seems to have changed a bit from the novel.
See me?
Does it seem like I’m a baby who’s desperate to see Dad?!
I opened my eyes wide and looked at Dad.
It was quite a glare.
A deceptively stunning image entered my eyes.
‘I, I love you. Thank you for seeing me.’
It’s new every time I see it.
It’s fresh every time I see it.
It’s also a mystery that it’s refreshing every time I see it.
A face like that was a blessing.
“Your grace brings ruin to the nation.”
At my out-of-context words, he might have asked, ‘What are you talking about?’, but Dad was different.
Indeed, he was strong.
“Of course it will.”
I decided to change the subject.
“But why can’t you see me?”
“Because adults have busy things to do.”
“Then when will you come?”
“I’ll be back before your birthday.”
I counted on my fingers.
“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.”
“……”
“You’ll be back in eight months?”
“I think so.”
“I hope Father comes back soon.”
“Why?”
“Because I miss you.”
Dad’s lips twitched slightly.
Somehow, it felt like he was losing, but I liked that look too.
Dad is definitely in a good mood right now.
Thanks to that, I also feel good and my heart is fluffy.
“Isabel will be waiting here.”
“You want to see me that much?”
“Yes, a lot.”
“Then I’ll come back quickly.”
“I’ll be tapping my feet impatiently.”
“……”
Dad’s body flinched.
It felt like he couldn’t control his body.
It was like he was about to hug me tightly but stopped.
‘Tch. He could just hug me.’
If he hugged me, I would be even more grateful.
“Pinky promise.”
I held out my pinky finger.
Dad seemed to really like my reaction.
“I’ll make a special promise.”
“Pinky promise!”
Dad linked his pinky with mine and made a promise.
Then he bent down and lightly kissed my forehead.
After that day, I really couldn’t see Dad.
Not only could I not see Dad, but I couldn’t see Mom either.
So I was very upset, but there was something else that upset me.
“Your Highness. I think I’ll have to leave the palace for a while too.”
“Why, Sir Viaton? Where are you going?”
“To k*ll some…… ahem!”
“Huh?”
“There’s a friend I want to get very close to, but they live far away.”
“Okay.”
I was very sad that Sir Viaton, who had been like a friend to me, was leaving the palace to go somewhere.
But then Sir Viaton put his hands on my shoulders.
His big eyes were full of injustice.
“No, Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“I spend much more time with Your Highness! I love you much, much more! I find you much, much, much cuter! I’m much, much, much, much more affectionate!”
“Isabel likes Sir Viaton too.”
Sir Viaton said something I couldn’t understand.
“Sigh. Is it an insurmountable mountain, a fortress, a wall forever? The wall of blood ties is high and rough.”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing.”
Sir Viaton smiled brightly again.
Ah, really, I did well to possess this body.
“I’ll be back soon. You have to eat a lot and stay healthy.”
“Yes! Don’t get hurt, Sir Viaton. You’ll get in trouble if you do!”
Then Sir Viaton’s expression became lively and full of energy.
“Will you scold me if I get hurt?”
……Excuse me?
I think I heard something strange.
* * *
Before leaving, Viaton visited the Emperor for a final report.
“……I lost, Your Majesty.”
“In swordsmanship, you’ve never beaten me once.”
“No, not swordsmanship.”
To be honest, he wasn’t too proud of losing in swordsmanship.
But this hurt his pride.
“You were bragging about it yesterday.”
Ron told Viaton about what had happened with Isabel yesterday.
Even though Ron wasn’t someone who enjoyed trivial conversations, yesterday was different.
“‘I hope you come back soon’, ‘I miss you’, ‘I’ll be waiting here’, ‘I’ll be tapping my feet impatiently’.”
“……”
“She told me to be careful and come back safely.”
The corners of Ron’s mouth turned up slightly.
“Was that all?”
“She told me she liked me too, but it was quite different from Your Majesty. What should I do with this deep sense of defeat?”
“I’ve never seen you as a rival.”
“That hurts my pride even more!”
“You didn’t seem to mind when you lost in swordsmanship.”
“Is that the same as this?!”
Ron calmly replied.
“Don’t be too upset. Blood is thicker than water.”
“Is it also a talent to act so calmly and arrogant?”
Viaton shook his head.
“I can’t help but feel depressed.”
His eyes were filled with murderous intent.
“I think it’s Wilhelm. I’ll go and smash him as soon as I find the evidence.”
“You’ve finally had a good idea.”
Ron already knew what had happened in the Imperial Palace.
Someone unknown had recognized the Princess’s magical talent and tried to kidnap her.
Ron spoke with dignity.
“It would be even better if you brought back the one on his shoulders.”
“Of course I will.”
After finishing his report and leaving the Imperial Palace, Viaton glanced towards the Princess’s residence.
He remembered her cute face saying she would scold him if he got hurt.
He muttered to himself.
“I might come back a little injured.”
* * *
Eight months have already passed since Dad’s birthday.
‘Wow, I’m already 5 years old.’
5 years out of 21 have passed.
‘Fast growth and fast time.’
Because it was a Bilotian body, growth was quite fast.
By Earth standards, she looked almost 9 or 10 years old.
Now her pronunciation was almost clear.
She could say almost exactly what she was thinking, and she was much more used to using her body.
Except for the fact that her days were dwindling, almost everything was good.
Ruruka said.
“I’ll give you candy tomorrow.”
“Really?”
Ruruka had issued a candy alert.
The Isabel she saw had an unusually strong appetite.
Especially, she tended to crave stimulating things that weren’t good for her body, like candy, jelly, and chocolate.
“Give me five.”
“Five?”
“Yes. It’s my fifth birthday.”
Ruruka thought for a moment.
Whether it was okay to give her five candies.
If she gave her five, she would definitely eat them all within 15 minutes.
‘But it’s her birthday.’
Ruruka nodded.
“Okay. I’ll give you five.”
“I love you, Nanny!”
Isabel hugged Ruruka tightly.
“Do you love me, or do you love the candy?”
“I love the nanny who gives me candy.”
There was one thing Ruruka didn’t know.
Even though Isabel from her previous life had a lot of resentment towards food, she wasn’t that crazy about candy.
In other words, candy was just an excuse.
An excuse to say ‘I love you’ naturally.
As she got older – even though she was only 5 years old – her reason became stronger.
She became a little closer to the spirit of her previous life, and she didn’t just act like a child.
“But Nanny, will Mother and Father be too busy this time too?”
“I don’t know much about the schedules of the Two Heavens, I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“You say you’re sorry even when you don’t have to be. That makes me a little sad.”
To Isabel, Ruruka was practically like a mother.
She didn’t want to see someone like that being overly formal and bowing their head.
“Treat me more comfortably when we’re alone. That’s how you show me love.”
“Th, that’s……”
“Huh?”
“……Okay. I’ll do that.”
“Hehe, I’m excited.”
Facing Isabel’s innocent, bright smile, Ruruka couldn’t help but smile.
It felt like her heart was filled with soft, fluffy clouds.
“Anyway, Father promised to come back by tomorrow, so he will. Right? Tell me he will.”
“Yes. He definitely will.”
A day passed.
Today was Isabel’s birthday.
