Chapter 82

She looked around for a little while, then held the ribbon back in her mouth and scurried towards me. As she did so, I patted down her head.

[Mommy, it’sh dirty!]

“That’s okay. We can just brush it off.”

[Howw?]

Haniel pulled her neck out, though it had been shrunk back before. Maybe because she had been worried that she would be scolded. Only after I exaggeratedly flicked at the ribbon with my finger did Haniel regain her smile and beamed at me.

[You get scolded in the Palace. Ouchies.]

“….your brothers?”

[No. Palace nanny. But bwother is scawier.]

If she thought her brother was scarier than a nanny who hit her, how scared was she?

Wrestling down my temper, I lifted Haniel up to my knees. When I only fiddled with the ribbon although Haniel offered her head to me as a way of saying she wanted to put the pink ribbon on quickly, Selene pecked at me.

[Look at that. If she’s trembling this much, then how are you going to take her to His Majesty the Emperor]

“But I’m not going to take her.”

[……What?]

“Why would I take our princess?”

I side-eyed Selene, laughing like I found it ridiculous.

If I forcibly took a child who had sunk into the lake just because she saw him once, from afar, who knew what would happen?

Only showing her good things would still be insufficient; it was enough that I, the mother, had the life-shortening experiences and heart attacks.

“For whose good? Anyways, the child is going to stay here.”

[T-then, I’d be the one staying here to take care of the princess so that she is safer and at more peace than anyone else, right?]

Slink, slink.

Selene was instinctively backing away. Seriously, there really was nobody else in the entire lake that had a survival instinct to surpass hers.

“Where are you going.”

“Quaack!!”

Also, I was a cold-hearted mother who had nothing she couldn’t do for the sake of her daughter’s security.

Grabbing the escaping Selene by the ankle, I sat her down on the seat next to Haniel.

A perfect seat to be tying a ribbon on her very prettily, in fact.

[Ma, Madaaam!]

“Be careful. If you make a wrong move, this ribbon might not be tied on your head, but your neck. Are you alright with that?”

Wondering where I could tie the ribbon so that it would hide her face the most, I held the pink ribbon and tilted my head.

[P-please don’t do this! Please? There’s no way His Majesty would be tricked by something like this!]

“I already told you how indifferent that man is.”

[This is a crime! Deceiving the Emperor! No matter how much he might be, how would it make sense for him to not know the difference between a swan and a mallard?]

“Yup. It makes sense.”

If it’s that man.

After holding down Selene’s neck with one hand, I skillfully tied up the ribbon above it. Since she was frozen in place now, already stupefied, I tried to comfort her by covering her eyes.

“Don’t worry. He really won’t know.”

[Gurgh! How could he not know? He’s not a duncehead stupid dummy goof or anything!]

“That’s why.”

I wiped the duck’s tears that flowed under the ribbon and lowered my head slowly.

“….want to bet with me?”

***

“……Catherine, this bird is your…..”

“Yes. You saw her last time, right?”

As Selene trembled in front of Rashid, I thrusted her out and stroked her head gently.

That man’s crumpled expression was as per usual, but since I had something to hide, a bit of nervousness ran through me.

“Her name is Reina.”

“…..this thing even has a name?”

Even in the face of his incredulous smile, I gave him my biggest grin.

“Of course. All things in this world should have a name. And particularly, this child is my…..”

“Your daughter, presumably.”

“…….”

He doesn’t know, he doesn’t.

Just how dense could you be?

Though I had expected as much, I couldn’t help how the corners of my lips were quivering.

Selene’s mouth, too, was silent under her ribbon, as if she had lost even the will to breathe. As for her emotions, they would be what I’d already felt yesterday.

…what was up with this guy, he’s as blind as a bat.

“Hm, but it didn’t look like it was this color when I saw it before.”

“…..”