Chapter 5

Bryn explained to Mrs Glenderin that Lilyca’s forehead was injured, so she told her not to enter the palace today.

“Why don’t you contact the empress and visit her? It’s tea time.”

“May I?”

Bryn grinned brightly when she saw a smile bloom on Lilyca’s face.

“Yes. Of course.”

Bryn ordered another maid, “Pass the message to the Empress.” All the maids Lilyca had originally changed, but they obeyed Bryn as if they always had been her maidservants.

After a while, the maid returned and politely said, “The Empress tells you to come.”

Lilyca smiled broadly, holding back her desire to run and step out into the hallway.

Indeed, her mother’s room was not too far, just up the stairs.

“Lily, you’re so cute!”

As soon as she entered the drawing-room, her mother hugged her. Lilyca busted into a happy laugh.

Now there were no worries. His Majesty had promised not to bother her mother, so she would be able to see her every morning.

Lydia hugged Lily tightly and looked at Bryn.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Bryn Sol, Your Majesty. I have been newly appointed as Princess Lilyca’s handmaiden.”

“You’re from the Sol family.”

As her mother spoke in a strange tone, Lilyca raised her head. Her mother looked at Bryn with a smile. Bryn was also smiling and gently lowering her gaze.

“It’s nice.”

Lydia said and looked at her daughter, who pondered in her arms, a bit puzzled.

‘I’m telling you.’ [NB: It’s Lydia’s inner thoughts]

Lydia laughed. She was worried and proud of her daughter at the same time.

Until Lydia took her place as empress, Lilyca had no choice but to stay in the guest room.

Because the emperor didn’t care about it. Lydia thought she wouldn’t be able to replace the maids or teachers around Lily until she took control of the inner palace.

In her previous life, there were a lot of people who secretly sabotaged her under the pretext of not acknowledging her, a woman who became empress overnight.

However, didn’t Lily go to the emperor directly and win her place with her own hands?

‘She was so cute.’

The emperor was bound to be left out.

She snorted inwardly. ‘Just try to raise one finger on my Lily.’

“Mother?”

Lilyca tilted her head when she saw her mother smirking silently.

She was adorable. How can her daughter be so lovable? And why didn’t she notice it before?

Regretting her past foolishness, Lydia hugged Lily twice as hard. Lilyca giggled in a jolt of joy. Her mother wrapped her arms around Lily, went inside and sat down.

Refreshments were quickly placed on the table at her beck and call.

“Lily, you said you went to visit His Majesty the Emperor?”

Lilyca looked at Lydia, startled by her words. She didn’t expect her mother to know about it already.

Looking at her daughter half-heartedly, Lydia explained,

“His Majesty has come to tell me.”

“His Majesty?”

“Yes.”

Lydia sighed and hugged her daughter around her shoulders.

“Lily, I appreciate your kind gesture, but you don’t have to risk anything. You don’t know how surprised Mom was to hear the news.”

“However…”

Lilyca bowed her head. Her mother hugged her tightly and gently stroked her hair with her fingertips.

“I know. My sweet Lily is worried about her mother. But Mommy is also worried about Lily.”

“Yes…”

Lydia smiled and kissed her daughter’s forehead.

Then, Lilyca said softly,

“Still, His Majesty didn’t seem like a bad person.”

“That’s why it’s dangerous.”

Lydia said seriously.

“You shouldn’t believe that because he treated you with kindness once. That doesn’t make him a nice person. Got it? That snake, no, I mean… that man can stab another person’s back with a smile on his face.”

At the warning, Lilyca swallowed her saliva and nodded. Lydia relaxed her expression.

“I don’t mean to scare you, but it’s better to be careful. Anyway, thank you. I feel better now. Would you like to sleep with Mommy tonight?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Let’s sleep together since it has been a long time.”

Lilyca smiled brightly at her mother’s words. Tea and sweets were delicious, but above all else, she was happy to spend time with her mother.

In the meantime, a tailor came by and brought a new style of dress design.

Everything was pretty and beautiful, but Lilyca was a little disappointed.

The dress named “Bustle Style” was, of course, pretty. Her mother also said that from now on, “This dress is going to take over the world.” And the tailor laughed.

“It already has.”

That’s what Lilyca wanted to say.

Lilyca thought that this clothing was probably a crinoline dress that was widespread in high society.

But she couldn’t tell her mother about that.

Time flew by as she watched her mother put on new dresses, talked with her, and made party invitations.

It was incomparably blissful to fall asleep in her mother’s gentle embrace, wearing soft pyjamas and sleeping on downy pillows at night.

In the morning, Lilyca overslept for a long time.

***

‘Obviously, Mother had told me not to visit His Majesty but…’

Somehow, since that day, Lilyca was called to His Majesty’s office every day. She didn’t do much when she went there.

Snacks were served, and while eating the sweets, she just listened to the stories of His Majesty, Lat, and Tan who often appeared.

Her mother was dumbfounded about this situation and had argued with His Majesty, but His Majesty seemed to have won.

Delicious snacks were brought every day, and Lilyca slowly got used to the office atmosphere and relaxed a bit.

Sometimes, she came to her senses thinking about her mother’s words.

When His Majesty asked questions, Lilyca answered them as seriously as possible.

Then, for some reason, Tan often smiled peacefully, and Lat turned his head and coughed lightly.

Alteos sighed as he looked at Lilyca, who was greedily eating the chef’s financiers.

“Why doesn’t she grow up?”

Lat raised his brows, asking what he was talking about.

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“The little one. Why isn’t she growing up when I feed her so well?”

“Your Majesty, it hasn’t even been ten days yet.”

“Atil seemed to be growing every day. Maybe she has some kind of disease?”

“Your Majesty. The Princess is not a Takar, not a Barat, not a Sandar, not a Wolf, and she is not a noble in any way.”

Lilyca rolled her eyes. She raised one of her hands, and Alteos asked,

“What?”

“I don’t have any disease and I’m strong. I also am growing well. Bryn said I will soon be able to wear bigger clothes.”

Then, Lilyca added cautiously,

“And I’m also a Takar.”

Although she was an adopted daughter, she was a Takar anyway.

Lilyca Nara Takar.

Isn’t that her new name?

As a contract princess, she insisted that “Takar” was correct.

There’s no point in signing a contract if you stepped back from an important position, right?

Lat smiled brightly at Lilyca’s words. “That’s right. The princess is also a Takar.”

“Are you really growing? Aren’t you supposed to grow up at least one finger a week?”

Alteos said and looked at Lilyca half-heartedly. “Yet, If I take a closer look, your face is definitely smoother and less dry than when we first met.”

“I don’t think there’s anyone who grows up like what you’re describing. If that was the case, then it would be a disease.”

At Lilyca’s words, Alteos raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“I grew up like that”

“Well, Your Majesty is not human.”

It was said as a joke, but a subtle atmosphere spread throughout the office like a wave.

A child who had grown up in the slums was sensitive to these negative emotions.

Did she say something wrong? She did think that saying he was not human would sound rude but…

“Who said that?”

Alteos asked lightly, but Lilyca knew there was more to it. She had to answer without making any mistakes. Lilyca said softly,

“Bryn said it. The imperial family are descendants of dragons. So, you’re a dragon.”

Alteos sighed with relief and his expression loosened. Then, Lat intervened,

“The princess is right. But saying that His Majesty is not a person can be misunderstood, so it is better not to say it.”

“Well, that’s what everyone thinks.”

Alteos snorted. Lilyca explained quickly,

“I thought it was really cool when I heard it! It’s truly awesome!”

When Bryn had explained the name of her new room, Lilyca had asked, “Then, what do you call His Majesty’s room?”

Bryn had replied with a smile,

“His Majesty’s room doesn’t have a dragon’s name. Because His Majesty is a dragon.”

“I was impressed with the story! I thought it was a myth becoming reality!!”

Lilyca tried her best to convey that emotion to His Majesty.

At Lilyca’s words, Alteos gestured with his hand. Realising that he was telling her to come closer, Lilyca hurried towards him.

Alteos thought it was funny.

He’d be dead if he dragged her by the hand. She had to come voluntarily.

It was not that Lilyca was fearless when she approached him.

He knew that. He also knew he could very well threaten her. But she believed that he wouldn’t hurt her, and seeing her running toward him like this, he didn’t want to break that trust.

He put his arms around her waist and placed her on his lap.

Now that he was used to it, his posture was much better than before.

A child’s heart was beating much faster, with a much smaller sound than an adult’s. Their body temperature was high, and their weight surprisingly light.

Few people could look directly at him, but when Lilyca acted this way, she looked just like her mother.

‘Lydia is the same.’

Lydia, who offered him a contract marriage, looked at him like this.

Until the Crown Prince Atil becomes emperor, he will be her support.

To be able to do everything as the empress of the empire.

However, there are limits to what the emperor can do, and the social world is a completely different battlefield. Could she handle all those sly foxes?

So far, she has been doing better than expected.

But compared to such a mother, what could he say about her daughter?

‘It’s a type I’ve never seen before.’

It was interesting because she was a type of human being that was difficult to see in court.

“Your Majesty?”

As Lilyca called him carefully while tilting her head, Alteos grinned.

“Why do you call me Your Majesty?”

“Excuse me?”

“Am I not your father?”

“Yes?”

“Isn’t that right?”

“Well, yes, that is correct?”

“Then? Now, call me.” Seeing Alteos talking like that, Lilyca looked around. Lat was watching their interaction with interest.

“Well, uh…”

Her thought started to swirl round and round. His Majesty was scary, but also a good man. However, did that mean she was allowed to call him father? Even if it’s just for work?

Did she have to call him that way because of her new job? But wouldn’t she be told that her behaviour was arrogant?

Lilyca repeated the words in her head.

Father. Father. [NB: In Korean, she’s thinking ‘아버지 (Father). 아바마마 (Special way to call someone father, exclusive to royalty).]

To her, a father was something existing only in dreams. But in front of her, was the person who will be her father for at least 8 years.

He existed now, in reality. When she thought about it, for some reason, tears flowed down her cheeks. Lilyca was startled and slapped her cheeks. No adult liked to see a child cry.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Stop it.”

Alteos grabbed her hands. She hit herself because there was nowhere else to hit.

“I’m sorry, I’m-”

“No, just because I married your mother doesn’t mean I magically became a father to you. It’s my fault for forcing you like that.”

Alteos said and reached out to Lat.

“Handkerchief.”

Lat silently handed him a clean handkerchief. Alteos, as he wiped Lilyca’s face, continued,

“It’s all right. You didn’t do anything wrong. Your mother will go crazy again if she finds out that I made you cry.”

As he sighed, Lilyca smiled involuntarily. Regardless, it was fortunate that the relationship between her mother and His Majesty seemed to be good.

“Come on, blow it here.”

Lilyca’s face turned bright red when she was told to blow her nose.

“You’re embarrassing her, so stop it,” Lat said.

“I-I’ll do it.”

Taking the handkerchief from Alteos’ hand, Lilyca wiped away her tears and runny nose. Then, Alteos ruffled her hair abruptly.

Recognising that it was a rough but caring touch, Lilyca smiled. Taking the handkerchief from Lilyca’s hand, and throwing it at Lat, Alteos said,

“Well then, let’s go back to work.”

With Lilyca on his lap, he turned the chair to the desk.

It didn’t look like he was going to ask to call him “Father” anymore. Lilyca felt sorry for it, so she repeated the word “Father” in her head and silently moved her tongue.

She suddenly felt closer to the fearful emperor.

‘Father, Father.’

Will he ask her to call him this way again?

Tickles pricked her stomach as she was feeling embarrassed. This feeling made Lilyca wriggle until something caught her eyes.

‘It’s dirty!’

She didn’t notice it before because it was covered with paper, but the ink had overflowed and was drying near the inkwell. Pencils were also rolling around wildly in a sea of crumpled paper.

Lilyca couldn’t stand that her father’s, no, His Majesty’s desk was so dirty. She wanted to do something for His Majesty.

Lilyca said cautiously,

“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”

“What?”

“Can I wipe the ink bottle for you?”

“Ink bottle?”

“The ink is dry at the entrance. It will be much cleaner if you wipe it with warm water.”

Lilyca said, pointing toward his inkwell. Lat frowned and was about to say something, but Alteos meekly agreed.

“All right.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Who cares? I’m saying this because I don’t like people going back and forth. Lilyca, you can use anyone you want, so make yourself comfortable in the office.”

At Alteos’ words, Lat pressed his palm to his forehead. His Majesty could think that was just favouritism, but wasn’t he just pampering the princess?