Chapter 17

When she returned to the White Dragon Room, Atil was sitting proudly in it like its master. Bran was standing next to him, holding a teapot.

“You’re here?”

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Lilyca was perplexed at the words of the two of them.

“Somehow, I feel like I’m the guest. Where did all my maids go?”

“I kicked them out because it bothered me to have them around.”

“Atil.”

Lilyca frowned. After learning that there was only one servant, Bran, for the Black Dragon Room, Lilyca felt sorry for him.

In Lilyca’s room alone, there were only four maids, with Bryn at the head. The maids who changed the sheets or did chores were uncountable.

However, it was sad to think that Bran alone had to do the work that the four maids had to do.

Wasn’t he a guest too?

Since he came to the White Dragon Room as a guest, Bran should be treated as a guest, but Atil chased the maids out and let Bran serve him.

Lilyca quickly ran up to the scaffold, reached out and pulled the string.

“Bran, sit back. Atil, don’t bother my maids anymore.”

“I didn’t bother them. I let them rest.”

What was he talking about? Lilyca frowned. Bryn narrowed her eyes.

“Excuse me for a moment. Princess.”

“Oh, yes.”

Lilyca nodded her head. Bran smiled bitterly as Bryn waved her skirt and disappeared.

“The maids will be scolded.”

“The maids?”

“The owner of the White Dragon Room is the princess, and the maids were not here because of His Highness and not per your order.”

“It’s just that Atil is more…”

Because he has a higher status.

“But they shouldn’t have.”

Bran spoke slowly and filled Atil’s empty glass. Lilyca’s eyes narrowed. She ran and stood in front of Atil.

“So, you mean that he came in and acted like the owner of the White Dragon Room on purpose?”

Atil took the glass and nodded.

“That’s right.”

“They are my concern.”

“What? It’s a family problem.”

Was that so?

Lilyca tilted her head, and Atil put the glass down and grabbed Lilyca quickly, placing her on his lap.

“Your Highness!”

She screamed in surprise and he pressed her cheeks.

“Atil.”

After being corrected on what to call him, Lilyca called his name again with her mouth.

“Atil.”

Lilyca rolled her eyes. This had happened before.

Lilyca said,

“Atil really looks like His Majesty.”

Atil’s expression darkened.

“Do we look alike to you?”

“Yes. A lot.”

Lilyca nodded her head vigorously. Their actions were very similar.

Touching Lilyca’s cheek, Atil was deep in thought. He spat out.

“I’ve never thought that before.”

An emperor of unknown origin.

Was he really his uncle? That’s what he thought.

The appearance that seemed to be mixed with the blood of a stranger rather than pure Takar also played a part.

That was the reason why rumours circulated that Alteos’ mother was from the desert.

If he thought about it, it may be the only thing he and his uncle may have in mon.

Their mother’s origin.

Neither Alteos’ nor his mother were from the imperial family.

Both of them were of mixed blood.

He also knew Duke Bharat called them that way. Then, Lilyca grabbed Atil’s cheeks.

Atil looked down in surprise. Lilyca said with a sullen face.

“I think it’s unfair to just touch my cheek.”

“Have you been like this to His Majesty too?”

“What?”

“Did you do this with His Majesty?”

“His Majesty never touches my cheek like this.”

“Really?”

‘Is that so?’ thought Atil with a satisfied face, pulling Lilyca’s cheek once more and letting it go. Lilyca got off the sofa with a dissatisfied look and stood up straight.

Atil languidly leaned against the sofa and lifted the teacup, and Bran, who was standing there, quickly filled it.

Then, stiff maids came in one after the other. One of the maids stepped forward and took the teapot from Bran. The other maids quickly prepared refreshments and examined Lilyca’s mood. Seeing this, Atil sarcastically sneered.

“What’s the point of being self-conscious now? Get out of here.”

The maids flinched and looked at Lilyca upon hearing Atil’s mand. Lilyca said to Atil,

“Let my maids serve me.”

“If you say so.”

Saying that Atil looked at the maids as if trying to remember every one of them. The last gaze fell on Bryn.

“At least this one seems reliable.”

Bryn smiled at his words, and Lilyca nodded.

“I rely on Bryn a lot.”

“You can’t say that you depend on someone below you.”

Lilyca whispered softly with a puzzled face at Atil’s words.

“I think trust is two-sided.”

Besides, Bryn wasn’t ‘below’ her. She was her dear friend.

Atil raised an eyebrow lightly. Lilyca quickly changed the subject before Atil said anything about her favourite maid, Bryn.

“By the way, Mother told me to pick an escort.”

Atil meekly agreed to the obvious change of subject.

“You really need one.”

“She said that you already picked an escort. Why don’t you go to the Guard Knights with me and choose more people?”

“I’m good. Go pick yours yourself.”

“What? However-”

“That’s enough.”

He waved his hand. Lilyca’s expression was filled with worry. She sat down next to him and raised her cup.

Lilyca turned her gaze to Atil while looking at the small teacup that was the size of her hand.

“But it is necessary.”

“With the guy, who was my escort for 8 years, that tried to kill me?”

“That’s why you need more.”

Atil shook his head and ruffled her hair.

It was rough enough to push the fixed hairpin, but Lilyca did not avoid it.

“I’m worried.”

Atil paused at Lilyca’s words. He hadn’t heard such a straightforward ‘I’m worried about you.’ in his life since his father’s death.

His vassals wouldn’t dare say that to him, and Alteos wasn’t the kind of person to say that.

“I had a nightmare that night and I couldn’t sleep properly. But what if that happens again? What if Atil doesn’t have an escort with him? When I think about it, I get so worried that I can’t even sleep.”

“What if he’s like the other guy?”

Lilyca answered calmly without hesitation.

“Pick them with me.”

“With you?”

“Yes, I have a very good sense about people!”

Lilyca quickly appealed with her talent. Atil made a strange expression.

“A sixth sense?”

“Yeah, uh-huh. Don’t make that face. A sixth sense, what are you talking about? You’re thinking I’m saying whatever, right? But I’m very good at sensing bad things. In fact, I didn’t feel good when your previous escort appeared.”

Lilyca raised her head triumphantly and continued.

“It’s not just that. When I was young, there was a grandmother who was kind to children and gave out sweets. All the kids loved her. But I was the only one who didn’t like that grandmother. So, even when she asked me to e with her, I didn’t go and I didn’t eat the candies. Later, I found out that the grandmother was a human trafficker!”

Atil’s expression hardened. The expressions of Bryn and Bran, who were listening next to them, also became strange.

Lilyca continued to show off her achievements by sticking out her chest.

“And there was also an uncle who asked the children to help him with his luggage and gave them pocket money. He was giving a fairly large coin for moving light luggage, so the children followed suit. But I didn’t like him. And again. Was he a bad person?”

Lilyca continued in a low voice.

“They said he did bad things to the children and sold them.”

“Bad things?”

When Atil asked, Lilyca answered with a serious expression.

“I don’t know for sure, but maybe it was because he starved, hit them or something? That and—”

Lilyca folded her fingers, recounting the events she had luckily avoided.

“There were also owners who did not pay wages to their employees. I’ve never worked for people like that. Well, except when I ignored my senses.”

Lilyca shrugged. Sometimes, she had to do it even though she thought something bad would happen.

At that time, she was prepared, and bad things happened inevitably.

Lilyca let out a small sigh and said,

“I only avoid very bad things, but I can’t choose the good ones. However, isn’t that okay?”

How was it?

‘Trust my senses for once.’

Lilyca looked at Atil with a face saying that. Atil bit his lip and ruffled her hair with both hands.

“Hey? uh?”

Her body shook back and forth no matter how hard she tried to resist.

“Atil!”

Eventually, when Lilyca struggled, he let go and hugged her tightly.

“Ack!”

She was crushed and hugged so strongly that a strange voice came out on its own. Atil laughed.

He asked teasingly,

“Was that awkward?”

“Ah, that’s because Atil hugs me so tightly!”

Lilyca exclaimed and he said in a relaxed voice,

“Subtract one raspberry.”

Instead of apologising to every one of them, he said that he would replace his apologies with raspberries.

Lilyca cried out in dismay.

“I’ll deduct two raspberries!”

“Yes, yes.”

Atil relaxed the arm that was holding Lilyca. It’s still surprisingly small and soft.

Her body temperature was high and he could feel her heart beating faster. Even if she was angry, he didn’t feel threatened at all, rather, he found it cute.

By the way.

‘I mean, she lived such a dangerous life. Human trafficking.’

The serfdom had long since disappeared from the Empire. It was thanks to the fact that it was more efficient to squeeze peasants than serfs.

Slavery had officially disappeared, but it still did informally.

‘I’ll have the Capital Guards look into it.’

Atil narrowed his eyes, then gently pushed her away and looked at her face. Lilyca looked back at him and said hesitatingly,

“It’s okay if you don’t subtract two raspberries, so why don’t we go pick the escorts together?”

“Okay, I’ll go.”

“Truly?”

Lilyca jumped from her seat. Atil laughed.

“Yeah. But not today, later.”

He thought he would have to go through the Capital Guards’ report today.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

He got up from his seat and tried to brush her tangled hair neatly, but was unsuccessful.

“I will do the hair.”

Bryn quickly came to their side and stopped Atil. She should prevent further tangling with the hairpin.

Atil let go of his hand and nodded.

“Then, see you later.”

“Yes, be well!”

With her dishevelled hair, Lilyca saw Atil off to the front door. Bran smiled, greeted her deeply and followed his master.

Bryn quickly sat Lilyca in front of the mirror and picked up the b. Bryn removed the hairpin, bed her hair and said,

“I didn’t know that the princess had a good sense.”

“I can feel bad things very well. The problem is that I can’t do anything about them.”

She could just avoid it without doing anything. Still, Lilyca knew how helpful it was to run away and how grateful it was to avoid the worst.

Bryn nodded, delicately moving the silver b.

“It’s enough to avoid it or be prepared for it.”

Lilyca’s hair, which Bryn had tamed, glistened and flowed down like a craftsman-polished tree.

Bryn backed away, tying her walnut-coloured hair back neatly as the sunlight glided down like pearls.

Lilyca stood in front of the mirror and looked back and forth. It was not as good as her mother’s, but when she looked at it like this, she felt proud and thought, ‘pretty cute.’

Lilyca, who turned away from the mirror, said in a bright voice.

“Now let’s go to the library. I need to find out what plants are planted in the secret garden.”

She’ll have to make the garden look stunning for Atil and return the key.

* * *

The library was as quiet as ever. Lilyca was going through the books one by one in the library, looking for books related to gardening.

Bryn was looking through the bookshelf from the other side.

‘Something… acid… soil…?’

Words that she never heard of popped up. Lilyca knew nothing about farming. She grunted at the large book and put it back, before pulling out another one. Then, a small booklet came off the shelf and fell.

What is it?’

The booklet, the size of a palm, was written in gold letters on a black binding, ‘A palpitating magic book for a girl.’

Lilyca was startled.

‘It’s a magic book!’

She grabbed the book and looked around. Bryn was still looking over the other side. Lilyca gently opened the book.

How to make a talisman for a loved one.

How to make the person you like appear in your dreams?

I want to keep the story secret.

When I looked at the table of contents, her heart trembled even more. She quickly put the book into her pocket.

‘I’m borrowing it secretly. I should read it and put it back discreetly.’

A magic book.

Wondering why such a thing was here, Lilyca turned her attention to another book.

“Princess.”

“Uh? Yes!”

Lilyca turned to Bryn in surprise, and she smiled and held out the book.

“I think this book will be good. The illustrations are detailed with explanations acpanying them.”

“Oh, that’s true! Thanks, Bryn. I think this will do!”

“Then shall we go straight to the garden with the book? I think it would be good to pare it directly with the illustrations.”

“That would be nice.”

The magic book in her pocket was quickly forgotten, and Lilyca nodded her head.

///

Translator: Hi guys! I thought long and hard about it, but I’ll be dropping this novel. This decision saddens me, however, I was quite disappointed by the novel overall and I feel no joy translating it anymore. Siya’s writing style is not my cup of tea, the stakes aren’t high enough nor is the drama. I feel there’s nothing but fluff and it bores me to no end (sorry not sorry lol). I’m still hyped about the manhwa though and I want to discover the rest of the story through it. I’m sure Chu Hea Yeon will change and cut the novel’ parts appropriately. I began translating this novel because I knew Chu Hea Yeon was in charge of its manhwa adaptation. It was my first novel translation and even though I’ll not see it to the end, I’m still proud of my work thus far. I hope someone else will pick it up for you guys. If a translator is interested, I have the raws. Anyway, I can’t wait for the manhwa’s release next month and I wish you well. Thank you for your support, love you guys!