Chapter 14
The next day.
After getting the word from the Grand Duke, Marquis Forern wasted no time making his way to the Grand Duchy.
Next to him was the Marquis’ daughter, whose bitter countenance suggested that she followed grudgingly.
“We apologize for offending Your Grace!”
Marquis Forern bowed deeply with his forehead down on the floor. Still, the Grand Duke remained cold.
“I don’t think I’m the only one who you should apologize to.”
“…Yes?”
“I’m sure I’m not the only one who got ridiculed by your daughter’s teasing tongue.”
“Ah.”
The Marquis of Forern, who belatedly grasped the Grand Duke’s intentions, hurriedly lowered his head.
“My daughter made a grave mistake to the little lady as well. She’s my only daughter so she was pampered at home but it seemed that she didn’t grew up…What are you doing Iris! Apologize right away!”
“But Father!”
Iris protested in a mournful face.
Even though that kid is the Grand Duke’s daughter, isn’t she just an illegitimate child?
While she, Iris, inherited pure noble blood. So how could she bow down to such a lowly one?
Iris kept her mouth shut and endured, but the only thing she got was the Marquis’ scream.
“I said apologize right away!”
“…Sorry.”
The Grand Duke looked at Iris, who’s bowing her head along with her father, then turned his head away.
Ariel sat in the seat right next to the Grand Duke and glared at Iris.
Tsk.
Ariel’s snort suggest that her anger has not resolved yet.
“Ariel, what should I do?”
“Huh? What?”
“Lady Forern’s punishment, I will do whatever you ask.”
“That, Your Grace!”
The Marquis of Forern shouted in horror.
How could such authority be given to a child who only seemed to be four or five years old?
If she talk about ridiculous punishment, how can they handle it!
“Why are you acting so shocked? Don’t you think it only fair that the one who got insulted get to decide on the appropriate punishment?”
“But Your Grace, isn’t your daughter still too young?”
The Grand Duke ignored the Marquis’ argument and stared straight at Ariel, who was wearing a sinister grin.
‘You must know that your lifelines are in my hands.’
The Marquis tightly closed his eyes.
He felt dizzy at the thought that he would be stripped off his title for insulting the imperial family and that his family would be ruined.
However…
“Get them out of my sight right now! And never feed them anything for three days!”
The penalty imposed was completely absurd.
While the Marquis looked at Ariel with a bewildered expression, Ahin next to her asked in a timid voice.
“…Is that all?”
Ariel’s head tilted slightly.
‘Is it too weak? No, because it was painful enough for her if she went without food for three days.’
It seems that humans are a much crueler species than Ariel expected.
‘Then I can’t be looked down on either.’
“Hmm.”
As she thought deeply with her chin held up, Ariel clenched her eyes firmly and let out a wailing cry.
“Then five days!”
“……”
“……”
“Snacks too! Don’t even give them snacks!”
Ariel hurriedly added to the chilly silence, but the silence went even more silent.
‘What else do I have to do…?’
Since Ariel had never administered a punishment before, she had no idea how severe was considered to be.
Ariel, distressed by the thought, hid her face in her hands.
“…Well, you still have to give them water!”
Pfft.
Someone burst into laughter.
The small laugh spread in an instant, and Ariel frowned.
“Why are you laughing! Don’t laugh. I feel bad for being laughed at!”
Ariel puffed up her cheeks and let out a loud scream.
With a grin on his face, the Grand Duke gently pet Ariel on the head.
“My daughter is benevolent.”
What nonsense.
‘Where in the hell was she benevolent? They were punished so badly and can only drink water for 5 days!’
With Ariel’s lips drawn together in protest, the Grand Duke gave orders to the pair of father and daughter.
“You heard my daughter? You will not be given any food for five days. If you break your promise, I will put you on trial right away.”
“Yes, Your Grace. No doubt!”
The Marquis lowered his head with a servile expression, then took his daughter and disappeared in a hurry.
The Grand Duke, who had been staring at the scene, turned his gaze to Ariel.
‘Why did I make that decision?’
Why did he decided to take this child as his daughter?
He couldn’t even understand himself.
His mood completely flipped as he saw the child’s bleeding face and the back of her hand.
He just thought that he should punish the person who made the child like that.
‘How could I be so impulsive?’
He put on a troubled expression for a moment, but then shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn’t help it.
‘Now that it come to this, I have no choice but to raise her well.’
He has both wealth and power, so what’s the big deal about having a daughter when he lacks nothing?
But there was something on his mind.
The Grand Duke looked at Jane.
“Take Ariel out for a minute.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The quick-witted Jane quickly left the parlor with Ariel in her arms.
Then the Grand Duke fixed his gaze on Ahin.
“Are you okay Ahin?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Do you mind if that child become your younger sibling?”
This situation would not be pleasant for Ahin, who was born through the bloodline and established himself as the only heir.
‘I should have asked him first before registering her.’
However, unlike the complex-minded Grand Duke, Ahin seemed to take it lightly.
“It can’t be helped, isn’t it? We can’t put back what’s already born.”
The Grand Duke’s shoulders twitched at the stinging gaze.
Come to think of it, he still hasn’t given a proper explanation to Ahin.
There was no reason to keep the truth from his son, but if he attempted to explain it to him, it would sound like a stupid excuse anyhow, so he didn’t.
Just when the Grand Duke was about to open his mouth,
“You don’t have to worry. I’m good enough to not lose my place to a kid like that.”
Ahin stood up.
And then, in a low voice, he added.
“She has an unrefined way of talking, but well, it’s cute in its own way.”
It caused the Grand Duke to laugh heartily.
‘He’s being honest.’
It seemed that Ahin was very fond of his new sibling.
At the strange sight of his son, he forgot his excuses and laughed out loud.
“Then it’s all right.”
As long as it’s okay to his son, nothing else mattered.
Although he himself has earned the disgraceful reputation of having an illegitimate child.
It was then…
“Not now, young miss!”
“Let go of me. He said we should just go out for a minute! And what do you usually eat to be so strong!”
He heard a scuffle, then the door burst open and Ariel came in.
“Miss!”
When Jane hastily followed Ariel, the Grand Duke just waved his hand.
“Let her be.”
Ariel, who had gained freedom, hurriedly ran and held out something to the Grand Duke.
“Dad, I’ll give you cookies!”
It was a tone that seemed to be written with good intentions.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
Ariel nodded at the Grand Duke’s laughing voice.
“Yeah, good!”
“What made it good?”
“Because today is the day I became the Grand Duchy’s Princess!”
As Ariel smiled brightly, Ahin challenged her in a raspy voice.
“Do you know what that means?”
“I don’t know!”
Ariel shook her head brightly.
She only knew the fact that she became the Grand Duchy’s Princess because of the servants who congratulates her.
Nonetheless, it appears positive that they are causing such a ruckus.
As he caressed Ariel’s head, the Grand Duke smiled broadly.
“It means you have become my daughter.”
“Huh?”
“From now on, you are the daughter of Badel Claudif, Ariel Claudif.”
Ariel’s eyes widened.
‘Wasn’t she already his daughter?’
When she read the word ‘daughter’ in a book, Ahin explained it to her.
She is her father’s daughter.
Wasn’t it like that since the day they first met?
She’s not just ‘Ariel’ anymore, she became ‘Ariel Claudif’.
Ariel tilted her head.
“Your Grace, a messenger has arrived from the Imperial palace!”
“From the Imperial palace?”
“Yes, please go to the palace with the princess right away.”
***
“I can’t believe it no matter how much I hear it. Badel has a hidden daughter.”
“Seeing that His Grace even sent a letter of protest directly to Marquis Forern, it seemed that he cherished her.”
The Emperor laughed at the attendant’s words.
The fact that his younger brother, who never showed any interest in women had an illegitimate child, shocked him to the core.
‘I’m relieved he’s not into sodomy but…’
It’s really such a sight to see after a long time.
‘But why did he keep it hidden until now?’
Tapping the armrest of the throne with his index finger, the emperor asked.
“You don’t know the child’s mother yet?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It doesn’t seem to have been revealed yet.”
“Then, how old is the child?”
“Looks like four or five years old.”
“Hmm, four or five years old…”
He was looking back if there are any change in his younger brother around that time.
“Your Majesty, Your Grace the Grand Duke and the Grand Princess have arrived.”
“Oh, let them in.”
The Emperor said with delight.
Screech.
The massive door opened and the Grand Duke appeared.
There was also a small child beside him.
“Hey, that kid is…”
He was confused when he first heard of it, but when he finally saw it with his own eyes, he felt it.
This child was truly his brother’s daughter.
If she wasn’t, then how could she look like this?
When the emperor was looking over Ariel with interest, Ariel, who had been staring at the emperor in disbelief, let out a growl.
“It’s rude!”
“Huh?”
The Emperor doubted his ears.
He couldn’t believe what he heard so he thought he heard wrong.
But…
“How dare you sit in the high seat, get up right away!”
The scream that fell again caused the emperor to stand up without realizing it.
