Chapter 15

Isabel’s birthday.

On that day too, the Emperor and Empress were not in the Imperial Palace.

There was no news of their return to the Imperial Palace either.

Isabel was a little sad, but soon smiled calmly.

“It can’t be helped. They’re busy.”

Ruruka felt very heartbroken.

She could have complained a little more. She could have been more upset.

Ruruka said.

“I’ll celebrate for you.”

“Thank you. Still, I’m a truly blessed child.”

“Of course! I think you can enjoy the last birthday with me today, and move your residence with a happy heart tomorrow.”

“Time has already passed like that, hasn’t it? Can I just go with my body?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’ve finished all the preparations.”

“I can meet my older brothers there, right?”

Until the age of five, she lives in the Lepian Palace, which can be considered an annex.

After her fifth birthday, she will move to the Arena Palace, where the Imperial Family’s children reside.

“My older brothers are very handsome.”

She couldn’t forget the Selection Ceremony.

It was strongly engraved in her mind.

Their gracious appearances were not just a feast for the eyes, but a glory for the eyes.

‘It’ll be fun just for that. It’s a bit of a shame that I only have my fourth older brother.’

Currently, the only person actually residing in the Arena Palace was the fourth prince, Michael.

The other older brothers were away from the palace due to their respective duties and successor training.

‘Well, I can start by getting close to my fourth older brother.’

Usually, entering the Arena Palace is also called the beginning of politics.

However, Isabel had no intention of engaging in palace intrigue.

With only 16 years left, it was difficult to find a reason to do so.

“I just want to live like a sunshine female lead.”

“A sunshine female lead?”

“There’s something like that.”

Isabel enjoyed a small party with Ruruka.

11:55 PM.

Now only 5 minutes of her birthday remained.

“Shall we put candles on the cake now?”

“Yes, okay.”

There was still no news of the Emperor and Empress’s return.

‘They’re too busy.’

She thought it couldn’t be helped.

“The cake looks delicious.”

Although it was very late, she finally put candles on the cake.

Isabel clasped her hands and prayed aloud.

“Please let me spend it with Mom and Dad next time.”

Ruruka looked at Isabel with a pitiful face.

The current time was 11:59 PM.

Isabel snapped her fingers.

Whoosh!

The candles ignited.

Five-colored flames flickered.

As usual, her birthday seemed to be ending like this.

“I think we should blow out the candles now.”

“There’s still 30 seconds left.”

There were still 30 seconds of her birthday left.

Isabel waited a little longer.

But then, she heard a voice.

“You, a good-for-nothing who can’t even learn swordsmanship, have a very grand wish.”

The door opened.

It was Ron.

“Father?”

Isabel’s body froze in place.

Ron’s body was covered in blood.

“Father!”

Isabel jumped up from her seat.

Seeing the blood all over Ron’s body, her mind went blank.

“How dare you make such an audacious wish to spend time with me?”

A voice came from behind him.

“Again, again, you’re saying things you don’t mean.”

It was Serna’s voice.

Isabel said in a hurried voice.

“M-Mother. Father’s body, blood, blood……!”

“That’s why I told you to wash up before coming, you’ll be surprised.”

“If you’re surprised by this much, you’re not qualified to be a member of the Bilotian Imperial Family.”

Serna shook her head.

“Can’t you just say that you were too late for your daughter’s birthday and came in too much of a hurry to wash up?”

“……It was just to keep a promise.”

“If you keep acting like that, Isabel might hate you later.”

Serna walked quickly and hugged Isabel.

“Our daughter, happy fifth birthday. I’m sorry I’m so late.”

Isabel hugged Serna instinctively.

Now, she had a mother too.

This mother didn’t abandon her.

Her mother hugged her tightly.

Something that was nothing to someone else was a miracle to Isabel now.

“Sob……”

Tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing it.

She thought she wouldn’t act like a child anymore when she turned 5, but she was wrong.

She was really wrong.

“I hate you.”

Even though she was 5 years old. Even though she was a little closer to her original mind. Still, she became a child in front of her mother.

“Oh my, our daughter, you know how to cry.”

At those words, Isabel came to her senses.

She bravely wiped away her tears.

Although her body wanted to act like a child, she thought her mind shouldn’t.

She, who had never had a mother or father, thought she shouldn’t whine too much.

“I hate you, but I don’t hate you.”

“Your pronunciation has become much clearer.”

She also realized that she hadn’t been able to spend time with her daughter during the long time it took for her pronunciation to become clearer.

Isabel hugged Serna tighter.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being with me.”

“……”

“I love it so much that you’re hugging me, Mom.”

Isabel loved Serna’s warmth very much.

Serna stroked Isabel’s hair.

Stroke━━ Stroke━━━

A warmth she had never felt in her previous life washed over her.

Then her body became languid.

Midnight was too late for a 5-year-old.

Drowsily━━━

Isabel fell asleep in Serna’s arms.

Ron watched them from a step behind.

* * *

Morning came.

As always, birdsong could be heard, and a pleasant breeze blew in.

Today too, the nanny opened the window early in the morning…… Huh?

“Dad?”

I was so flustered that I called him Dad without realizing it.

The person sitting by the window reading a book was not the nanny, but Dad.

He was very neat, as if he had washed up at some point.

Even in the morning, he was sitting there with no trace of humiliation.

Dad opened his mouth without taking his eyes off the book.

“How dare you address me so informally?”

But Dad’s lips were twitching.

I saw it in the book.

Ron’s lips twitch when he’s in a good mood.

I jumped out of bed.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

“One moment you have decorum, the next you don’t, and then you have it again.”

I approached Dad.

Why is his jawline so sharp even though he’s clearly reading a book?

Dad reading in the fresh morning atmosphere was like a scene from a youth movie.

“Can I call you Dad in private?”

“If you desire it that much, I’ll allow it.”

Again, again, that victorious expression.

But I’m 5 years old now.

I won’t be easily swayed.

“I didn’t say I desired it that much, Father.”

“Why don’t you desire it?”

The twitching lips stopped.

“Because I’m an Imperial Princess who values decorum and dignity.”

“Didn’t you say that decorum and dignity come and go?”

“I’m already five years old now. I’m old enough to maintain dignity and decorum.”

Dad frowned slightly.

“Five years old is still a child. You cried so much yesterday.”

Somehow, Dad seemed a little disappointed.

I approached Dad.

And I discovered an interesting fact.

‘Huh?’

Dad was holding the book upside down.

He seemed to be pretending to read, not actually reading.

I continued confidently.

“Father is cu-chim（cou-ghing） from early in the mor-ning and is en-riching his mind through cul-tured be-havior, which shows his dig-nity and au-thority as the Em-peror.”

My tongue almost got twisted while trying to use difficult words on purpose, but it was okay.

‘Good. It was perfect pronunciation.’

I pronounced it perfectly.

That’s how it sounded to my ears.

“Of course.”

Huh, why does he seem to be in a good mood again?

It was something I couldn’t understand.

“Reading a book is experiencing another world and broadening one’s horizons. So, don’t neglect reading, keep striving, and always keep books close to you.”

“What about keeping Dad, who always keeps books close, close to me?”

“……What?”

Dad flinched.

Dad, who had been keeping his eyes on the book until now, looked at me.

I could clearly feel it.

What was in Dad’s eyes was clear love.

It’s a bit sad, but I was very sensitive to such gazes and emotions.

I think it was because I had never received them before.

Dad’s lips were twitching more violently than before.

“Dad, do you know something?”

“What?”

“I’m happy that you’re by my side, Dad.”

“Nonsense.”

Dad’s face flushed slightly.

“Did you stay here all night?”

“I was so tired that I fell asleep here without realizing it.”

“You were tired?”

The strongest swordsman in the empire?

It was written in the book that the mana he possessed was like the universe.

In the book, it said that he fought a war for two weeks without sleeping.

“Do you stay in my room when you’re tired?”

I decided to give Dad an excuse.

It was like candy to me.

“Then I wish Dad was tired every day.”

“……”

“Then we could spend the day together like today, right?”

“……You’re a wicked, unfilial daughter.”

I thought for a moment.

It seemed a bit mean to wish for chronic fatigue for my own greed.

“Just for my birthday.”

“……”

“Only once a year, can’t you be tired, Dad?”

“……”

“There are only sixteen left.”

“……”

“I won’t bother you after seventeen. So, from seventeen onwards, you’ll be full of energy.”

Dad looked at me with an expressionless face.

He might have looked a little upset.

‘Did I whine too much?’

I felt uneasy.

“Are you angry?”

Dad just looked at me silently.

I felt a little more uneasy.

“Is sixteen too many?”