Daughter of the Emperor

Volume 1

Chapter 5

An inquisitive voice… It also sounded like she was a bit surprised. I understood the princess’s reaction one hundred percent.

Indeed. Serira dressed quite plainly for a princess’s nanny. And that was a nice way of saying it. It was honestly more shabby than plain.

I knew she naturally wasn’t the type of person to be drawn to luxury. She was always just very clean and tidy, but still, her plainness had gone so far that it was downplaying her charm, rather than complementing it.

But the surprised look only lasted for a moment. Princess Faylene looked to be thinking about something. Her thoughts were clearly visible on her face, however. It was obvious she was sizing me up. What am I, a piece of clothing you need to measure? I was so annoyed I looked away.

So what if she was pretty? If she was annoying, she was out.

And I’m extremely annoyed by her right now!

“By chance is that child Her Imperial Highness Princess Ariadna?”

That’s right, I’m a princess! Not just some child.

But it almost embarrassed me to hear her calling me “Her Imperial Highness.” It clearly pointed to the fact that I was of higher status than she was.

But why was she looking at me with such a heated stare?

I felt a little burdened. I was only a three-month-old baby. I couldn’t understand why she was looking at me with such fiery eyes. What’s the matter with that princess?

“Yes, this is she.”

Serira bit her lip and barely managed to answer. I wasn’t sure what the problem was, but it was clear Serira was hesitant to reveal that I was Princess Ariadna.

Hmm, wait. I think I might know. Handing over a defenseless baby to someone who harbors resentment toward their father would be... Yeah, that’d be a bit weird.

“Give her to me. Let me hold her.”

What?

I was so surprised I stopped sucking on my binky. What did that crazy woman just say? Hold me? Hold me? Do you know me? I could have sworn we just met.

Hey, not even my father has held me in his arms yet. Serira is the only one who’s allowed to!

“Well, um...”

It seemed Serira was uncomfortable with the request as well. Say no. Say no! I’m gonna be mad at you if you hand me to her! Waaaah.

This isn’t fair.

I know babies are always passed around from this person to that person, but now that I’m the baby, I hate it. If we had met a few times and gotten familiar with one another, I wouldn’t mind as much, but I’d never seen this woman before!

“Why? Are you worried I’ll harm her?” the princess said, pressuring my nanny.

Damn you!

No. I don’t wanna go. I don’t like her!

I grabbed Serira’s clothes. No, Mom, no. I’m going to cry if you hand me over to her. I’m going to cry! There’s something vicious in that woman’s eyes!

And I wasn’t lying just because I didn’t want to be handed over to her. I truly felt a different kind of hostility in those green eyes. It was so clearly visible, and even more uncomfortable because of it. Damn it. Why do I have to get this kind of stare just because I was born to the wrong father? My first walk outdoors was going downhill really fast.

No, don’t give me to her! Don’t you dare!

“P-Princess, please calm down,” she said as she reluctantly handed me over.

“Waaaaaah!”

I burst into tears with a loud wail for the first time in my life.

No! I don’t like her at all!

I had no idea with what intention she had doused herself with so much perfume, but I even hated the thick smell of roses coming from her. I hated the smell of the powder used to do her makeup, her long, unkempt nails, and just everything about her.

“So loud! Shut your mouth this instant!”

Have you ever seen a baby shut its mouth because you told them to? I hate you, lady!

I want to cry. Oh, wait. I’m crying now!

Tears streamed endlessly down my face. My vision was completely blurred. I flapped my limbs about and cried with all my might.

Ah, I think I understand why babies cry so much now.

It’s their only way to express that they don’t like something. What a powerless creature I am. I can’t even crawl yet. I can’t go anywhere on my own! And above all, her body was far thinner than Serira’s and it was too hard for me to rub against. I hate it here!

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

“Silence! Why is she so noisy?!”

All babies are. Ugh, I really hope you don’t raise one.

Serira looked restless and Elene looked stunned as they watched me from the side. Neither of you has ever seen me like this, have you? Me neither. This is my first time crying. But I really hate it so much here that it makes me want to cry!

“Waaaaaaaaaah!”

At this point, it would have been normal for her to give up and hand me back, and yet Princess Faylene held on to me tight and didn’t let go. Where on earth had she learned such stubbornness? Agh, my wrists and my back hurt.

It hurts! You don’t even know how to hold a baby properly!

“Who in the world do you take after? Someone might think I’ve done something wicked to you!”

Your face is a horror, ma’am.

“Waaaaaaaah!!”

God damn it, someone help me!

I flailed around so hard it almost felt like Princess Faylene would lose her grip and drop me when suddenly, I heard a familiar voice.

“What’s going on?”

A low voice. I lifted my tear-soaked face to take in the blurry image before me.

It’s Father!

I widened my eyes. At the same time, the body holding me stiffened entirely.

The atmosphere immediately went cold at the emperor’s emergence. How was it that this commotion happened to be caused right under the corridor the emperor would pass by? I was so dumbfounded I kept my mouth shut. Given the layout of the palace, it was quite a ways from where Caitel normally was, but it wasn’t so distant that he couldn’t spot us from afar.

Princess Faylene looked up. She had turned ghostly pale. As soon as the princess’s eyes met his, Caitel snickered. It was that same mocking sneer that reduced the subject to a mere insect.

“I am graced with the presence of He who has reached Evangelium.”

It was a greeting that everyone, regardless of age or gender, must recite before the Emperor of Agrigent, for he was the emperor because the good news, the gospel, the voice of God had reached him.

It’s a little scary to see this lady trembling with her bluish face and her blue hair. I had stopped crying after my father had shown up and was only sniffling now.

I’m dead meat if I cry in front of this guy.

“Glory to Evangelium.”

Serira’s greeting was a little different, perhaps because she was a citizen of the empire. Surely I would learn the difference as I got older, but I was so curious as to why. Why is it?!

But this wasn’t the time and place to try and get answers to my questions. After slowly coming down the outside steps, the emperor entered the scene with a crooked posture and surveyed the crowd.

My father was just always a maniac in my mind, so I had been thinking that his fierce aura was normal. But I was mistaken. His overpowering aura felt even more suffocating than what I had felt in my room. It felt like it was pressing down on all of us here.

“Will someone explain to me why my respected daughter is crying like that?”

Who’s your daughter? Oh, right. That’s me.

Gaaah, I wish I could say it wasn’t so. And “respected daughter”? That’s what you say when you refer to someone else’s daughter. Are you trying to show off how dumb you are? Just say I’m your daughter, I beg you.

But of course, no one knew how I was feeling. I sniffled as I sucked on my thumb. My precious binky had disappeared in the middle of my passionate outburst. Where’d you go, my binky? I’m sorry, binky. It’s all my fault. Where are you?!

“Well, um...”

My side stung as the princess gripped her hand even harder. Agh, please! I desperately wanted to burst out crying, but I couldn’t, given that my father was who he was.

He’s going to kill me for sure if I do.

My instincts were warning me that now was not the time to cry.

That terrible bastard. After making do with just a frown, I looked longingly at Serira, but then I met Caitel’s eyes.

Huh? Why are you smiling?

I furrowed my brow, nervous about what the lunatic might do next.

What’s the matter with this guy?

It wasn’t the usual sneer he gave me, but a genuinely bright smile. Boy, you really are gorgeous, though. Clearly, the gods had miscalculated some things while making him. The balance was way off.

How is it that you’ve been blessed with everything except personality and character?

“Come here.”

Caitel reached out his hand to me. I hesitated for a moment.

The crazy lady or my crazy father?

The dilemma was deep but brief.

You know what, I’m still better off with you than this woman who keeps squeezing my side. I immediately stretched out my hands.

It turned out that, because he was a lunatic... No, correction: It turned out that, because he was the emperor, Princess Faylene did not hesitate to hand me over. I mean, what else was she going to do?

Seeing as this was his first time holding me, the position felt a bit awkward, but now I was finally able to stop crying. At least he’s not tearing off my sides. Ah, much better.

Hm, but see, now, this is a problem. I’m starting to get used to him. God damn it, this scent feels familiar.

It seemed he was watching me get settled into his arms. I looked up to see him looking down at me. I squealed and laughed.

I’m not sucking up to you, I swear! I just... want to live.

The emperor laughed, perhaps having understood my desperation to live. The smile was almost soft enough to remind you of a spring breeze. But his face did immediately turn cold once again.

Do you possess a thousand faces? How is it you flip on a dime?! I can’t do this anymore. It’s over between us! I can’t continue our relationship as father and daughter with a man so fickle as you!

Aaahh... I wish. I’m doomed.

Anyway, he turned his cold gaze toward, not me, but Princess Faylene, who stood before me, trembling. Ah, now I’m starting to feel sorry for her. To think I hated her so much a second ago. But it wasn’t that I wanted to throw her into the maniac’s den, so I felt conflicted.

Why did you have to insist on holding me?

“Who are you again?”

He was curt. He always was, even in front of a princess. Not that an emperor had to go to great lengths in front of a princess.

But still, it was a bit intimidating. Even I held my breath while being held in his arms. Where was this murderous aura even coming from?

“I am Segista from Praezia, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“No, not that name.”

His lips curled into a twisted smirk. It wasn’t a smile that came from enjoyment. But it wasn’t his usual sneer either. Something crept up my body from the tips of my toes and made my stomach turn.

“The name when you were thrown into my harem. I don’t care who you were before.”

Wow, what a sadistic asshole.

The princess’s hands, which were holding onto the skirt of her dress, had turned white at this point. I officially pitied her now. I empathized with her.

I know. Scary, right? I’m scared too.

It might be the princess now, but who knows if it might be me standing there one day? I pulled on the hem of Caitel’s clothes.

Um, Father? I’m fine now, so how about we move on...?

“Faylene.”

The maid standing behind the princess broke the silence. She bowed her head and continued, “She is Princess Faylene, Your Imperial Majesty.”

Caitel’s face instantly froze. The ferocity emanating from him increased twofold. The air became so thick with it, it made me want to cry. Ah, damn it. Nothing is working out because of this guy! In the end, all I did was scowl and whine softly. I don’t like this!

“And who are you to speak up in front of me?”

His speech was direct and overly aggressive. There wasn’t an ounce of mercy in his bones.

“You dare interfere in this matter?”

The maid immediately went down on her knees and screamed desperately. Even I was so taken aback that my body naturally shifted backward.

“I have committed a grave sin! I beg you have mercy. Forgive me. Please forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty.”

The sight of the maid crying for mercy with tears streaming down her face was so pitiful, I felt bad despite having nothing to do with the situation. She’d just wanted to defend her master... If it were me, I would’ve forgiven her a million times over, but it just so happened she had barked up the wrong tree.

“Take her away.”

Everyone held their breath at the cold voice. Including me, of course.

There wasn’t an ounce of mercy. Nothing. They say the crazy ones are usually better off with a beating, but there’s no one to do that to the emperor so there really is no solution for you, is there? Truly a lost cause.

“This is the first time I’m seeing my princess cry.”

So are you going to kill me?

“Where’s that toy of hers?”

What toy? Regrettably, I wasn’t the one he was asking so I couldn’t give him an answer.

“Sorry?”

Serira looked surprised that the emperor was suddenly looking at her. But the emperor’s face was neutral as he addressed her.

“The toy. The one she always has in her mouth.”

That, my friend, is not a toy. It’s a pacifier. AKA “binky.” A dear friend to all babies. You don’t know that and you call yourself a father? Jeez Louise.

“Oh, that...”

Confused, Serira looked around and found the pacifier that had fallen on the ground next to the princess.

Ew. Dirty! I can’t put that in my mouth again. Apparently, the emperor and I were thinking the same thing.

“Dispose of it.”

He ordered her to throw it away as soon as she picked it up.

Serira couldn’t bring herself to just throw it onto the ground, so she carefully wrapped the pacifier in her hand. I ended up sucking on my thumb instead.

Blergh. It may be my finger, but boy, it’s salty.

“You cried so hard.”

Yeah, thanks for noticing. So can you hand me back to the nanny already?

As always, my wishes were completely ignored because I was a godforsaken baby. With me still in his arms, the emperor looked down at Princess Faylene, whose head was bowed deeply. She looked terrified for her life. Poor thing.