Chapter 104

I had a strange feeling.

No one interrupted our meal time.

As soon as the knight came in, my father’s angry face gradually hardened. The change in his expression was terrifying.

Thanks to that, my mom and I put down the cutlery while we were eating.

Of course, my pony-like brother, Allen, was the exception. Oh no. Sylvie was also busy inhaling the leftover food next to my brother.

“What’s going on?”

As soon as the knight took a step back, Dad showed a pretty serious expression in response to my mother’s question.

“If it’s not a big deal. If it’s serious it’s a serious thing, but there’s nothing to worry about in the first place.”

But Dad had already gotten up from his seat. His expression also stiffened.

At that time, Allen also put down the cutlery and looked at his father.

“Eat and make yourself at home. No, you’d better not leave the room today.”

“Xenox, isn’t it serious?”

My still-immobile mother hesitated and looked at my father, but Allen and I had already risen from their seats and clung to our father’s side.

“It’s not serious. It’s something that can be solved in my line. But Bebe, Allen, what are you doing?”

“I think something fun is going to happen!”

When he looked at me with a bright smile, Dad couldn’t hide his absurd expression.

“I know where you are going.”

“You’re going to make a mistake, so it’s fun! And I have to go with you.”

“…I am not going to make a mistake, Bebe. What kind of impression do you have on your father?”

I couldn’t say ‘crazy Daddy’ as a response, so I smiled so much that he couldn’t see my eyes, sticking out my tongue.

“Are you trying to cover up with a smile?”

“Hehe.”

“Okay. Bebe just said so, but Allen, why do you want to follow me?”

“I want Bebe to follow. Wherever Bebe goes, I always follow.”

Talking about a reason more absurd than mine, my brother raised his head very proudly. I looked at my brother and did a slicing gesture at my neck as I looked at him.

“Have I become a father who can’t even trust his children…”

As if somehow shocked, my dad mumbled to himself, then leaned over and hugged me.

“Believing comes first. Bebe, would you like to go with me? I think I might need you anyway.”

“Okay! Then, Allen, please protect my mother.”

“I want to follow you too.”

“Then there’s nothing I can do…”

That’s because he was one of the few people in the Grand Duke’s family who was really nice to her. He didn’t really have faith, but it was better than nothing.

That’s why I said it, but my brother was really adamant.

“Yeah, I’ll follow Bebe.”

“Okay. Instead, Dad, put someone you can trust next to her, okay? I want a strong Theobaldo. If Cecilia and Theobaldo will protect my mother, I will be so relieved!”

“It sounds like a name I haven’t heard in a long time. What do you mean, Theobaldo? I’ll just do that, then. Adele, I’ll be right back with the kids, so I’ll leave you alone for a while.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Mom smiled and waved her hand to see us off. But my older brother, Allen, who had just said he would follow my father, sat down next to my mother.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Don’t worry, Bebe, because this reliable older brother is protecting your mother.”

“Huh?”

Did he eat something wrong?

Allen, who suddenly opened his eyes slightly and raised his eyebrows, shook his head as if not to worry.

“There is no one more trustworthy than this brother, so go ahead.”

As I tilted my head at the incomprehensible situation, my father laughed.

“Bebe, if you say one word, you will die like that.”

“Huh? One word?”

“Yes. He’d be like that if he wanted your attention, so let’s go ahead and we’ll be back. Allen wants to be a reliable older brother so we’ll leave him alone.”

Leaving behind my mother, who was smiling like a happy person, and Allen, who looked at me with an expression as greasy as butter next to my mother, we went out the door like that.

“Is it okay? Can we leave Brother like that?”

“Yes, he’s a child who wants to be liked by you anyway. If it bothers you, come back later and give him a compliment.”

“Does he like it when I compliment him?”

“Of course, a man who never wrote a diary would keep a record every day when you praise him.”

I quietly nodded my head.

“I thought he had changed recently.”

“He can’t change. Allen is just an older brother who wants to be loved by his younger sister.”

“I see…”

I listened quietly to my father and nodded my head.

“If you give him a compliment, he will do anything.”

“Okay! I will definitely go and praise him.”

I smiled bashfully as I made eye contact with my father. Dad nodded his head to see if I was satisfied and moved quickly.

But my dad was different. He said it wasn’t a big deal, so what should I do?

“But Dad, where are we going?”

“An unexpected visitor came, so that’s the way to get there.”

“An unexpected guest?”

“Yes.”

We arrived at the main gate of the Grand Duke’s house while we talked about how fast we had to get there.

“Daddy?”

As if something big had happened, there were a lot of knights from the Grand Duke’s family in front of the main fate. It wasn’t until they realized we had arrived did they create a path for us, like the seas splitting.

At the end of the path was a knight and a man armed with golden armor.

My face hardened when I saw him.

‘Why is he here?’

The situation was so absurd that I couldn’t think of what to say.

“What brings you here, Your Majesty?”

I never really imagined that he’d show up. As if he already knew, Dad looked uncomfortable, yet he didn’t hesitate.

I felt better after our last meeting, but my hands still trembled a little. I wonder if he had followed me for no reason, but I straightened my back proudly because Dad is here.

In the meantime, we stood before him. He came dressed in colorful clothes and a fur cape as if he were attending a party, and anyone could see he was the emperor trying to overwhelm his opponents with his outfit.

The gorgeous crown on his head and the jeweled rings on all ten fingers gave that feeling.

“Is there a place in the Empire that the Emperor can’t go to?”

“Although there isn’t a place you can’t go to, I don’t think there’s any reason for you to come to a place surrounded by a cursed forest.”

“I wanted to come here at least once. I’ve always heard of the cursed forest ever since I was young. Since there is a grand duke who built his own luxurious mansion and lives there, I’ve always wanted to see it with my own eyes.”

My father snorted and looked around.

“So what do you think after seeing them yourself?”

“It hasn’t been great. We had to go all the way through this forest. Some of my knights even got hurt.”

“If you had given a notice, I would have prepared. I never thought you would come at a time where monsters have become active. Still, Your Majesty’s knights are quite strong. If it had been anyone else, it wouldn’t have ended with a few injuries.”

My father only raised the corners of his mouth, yet he looked so gleeful. Just looking at him gave me goosebumps.

“Why? Do your knights also get hurt?”

“No.”

“Ah, they truly are great men. As the Emperor, I would be scared.”

“…So why did you come here? I don’t think you came all the way here to discuss trivial matters with me.”

He nodded as if he had just been enlightened. Then, he looked around.

“Yes, I’m not here to talk about that. I came here for two reasons: one, the child in your arms, and the other is your punishment.”

“Punishment… You know, it’s very awkward for you to say that without an investigation.”

“Because it’s that big of a deal. You will know for yourself what illegal things you have done.”

At the Emperor’s words, Dad smiled as if it was no big deal. He only gave a leisure smile, and yet the Emperor’s relaxed expression hardened in an instant.

“Did you already look into it?”

“If you confess, I will slightly reduce your sentence.”

“Great.”

Surprisingly, my dad seemed to obey him.

Until the next few words came out.

“By the way, Your Majesty, I don’t know what you’re talking about because I’ve done a lot of illegal things. I can’t tell you all of them though, it’s truly embarrassing.”

“Grand Duke!”

“If I open my mouth, the royal family will be quite shocked. Well, I’ll tell you everything if you want. After all, the Grand Duchy has always been the shadow of the Imperial family. We’ve always done the Imperial family’s dirty work. If you really want to hear it, I’ll tell you… if you can handle it.”