“What?”
At the unexpected excuse, my brow involuntarily furrowed, but Delight boldly lifted her head and continued speaking.
“That’s something you say to someone who means nothing to you.”
“Well, that’s only natural…”
“I don’t like it.”
The child spoke up, looking as if she was about to charge at any moment.
“I’d rather serve you as my true master. At least that would mean I belong to you.”
“…What on earth are you?”
I was at a loss for words.
Is this audacity born from not understanding what being a slave means? Or is it arrogance from thinking I wouldn’t go that far?
Either way, I couldn’t comprehend her determination and sighed.
I thought saving his life would be the end of it, but it seems I got myself into a tricky situation.
Delight looked at me with an expression that showed he wouldn’t back down.
Just facing him made my head ache.
There was no way out.
If this situation repeats, something unmanageable might happen, so I couldn’t let it slide.
A low, cold voice pressed down on Delight.
“You can’t call me master.”
“………..”
Delight’s expression darkened instantly.
No means no.
“From now on, call me teacher.”
There was no other choice. I had to yield to her stubbornness.
“…Yes. Yes?”
Delight, who had been answering weakly with her head bowed, suddenly lifted her head.
“What did you just say?”
He wanted to be sure, unable to believe it.
Already, Delight’s face was glowing with anticipation.
Honestly, I couldn’t understand why this foolish child was so obsessed with becoming my disciple.
Even though I had firmly said I wouldn’t take him as a disciple, as long as he stayed by my side, I’d inevitably end up teaching him various things. He had the talent for it.
I thought he had at least that much sense.
Or maybe he was being stubborn because he understood that.
Either way, what could I do with such persistence?
From the moment I saved his life, I had already altered the course of his life, so I had to take responsibility.
“Now, you’re my disciple.”
“Really? You’re not joking? I’m really your disciple?”
“Yes. Do as you wish.”
In the end, I gave in to this kid’s stubbornness.
“Wow. Wow! Wow!”
And then, pure admiration poured out of the child.
If left like this, he would probably keep marveling all night long.
“What are you dawdling for? Can you find your way back up the mountain alone?”
I walked ahead without looking back.
“Coming! I’m coming! Right away!”
I heard Delight’s excited voice as he hurriedly followed me.
Even though he tripped several times, and his knees got scraped, he got up and ran again as if he had lost all sense of pain.
“Teacher!”
“Yes.”
“Hehe. Teacher!”
“Stop calling me that!”
“I’ll learn well and serve you well! Just trust me!”
From that moment on.
I decided to be the teacher of the child I had picked up.
From that day on, he kept calling me ‘Teacher’ so persistently that my ears almost hurt. No matter how upset or angry he was with me, he never skipped the title ‘Teacher.’
Delight puts his heart and will into the title.
In the end, his wish affected me too, and I accepted him as a true disciple.
***
“Princess?”
Serdin waved his hand in front of Violyana’s face, who was deep in thought.
There was no reaction.
It seemed she couldn’t see his gestures.
“Can you hear my voice?”
“………..”
“Guess not.”
Serdin stared at her blankly and then turned to look ahead.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“………..”
“I’m saying this because you can’t hear me.”
Serdin muttered to himself, resting his chin on his knees.
“Honestly, I’m jealous of you.”
For Serdin, how he addressed someone was a matter of survival.
Looking back, the empress, whom he considered like a mother, was the same.
He seemed to know from a young age that the empress’s kindness was his lifeline. That’s why he tried so hard to please her.
Violyana, the princess of the Promian Empire, who received the emperor’s love, was in a different situation from him.
“Princess can do as you please. The emperor cherishes you anyway.”
Even if she didn’t call the emperor by name, she wouldn’t be abandoned or suffer any disadvantages.
“The first word I ever said was ‘mother’ to the Empress.”
That was probably an instinct for survival.
“But the Empress is not my biological mother. Yet, I continued to follow her as my mother.”
Even the indifferent emperor, who hardly acknowledged his existence, would look back when he called the Empress ‘mother.’
It was the same now.
It didn’t matter what he called her.
“Even now, if necessary, I can smile and call the Empress who abandoned me ‘mother.'”
So, Serdin couldn’t understand why the princess refused to call the emperor ‘dad,’ something he desired so much.
If necessary, he could call the emperor of Promian ‘dad’ as well.
“If you want, I can call you master too.”
Serdin even smiled as he said that.
“…Huh?”
“But your situation is different from mine. I’ll act along with you until you decide to speak up. Just pretend you’re trying hard to learn to speak, ah-!”
In the middle of his words, a dull impact hit his head.
Serdin held his head and turned to look beside him with a shocked expression, trying to see the face of the person who attacked him.
“What do you mean ‘ah’? Stop overreacting.”
It was just a light tap on the head.
Listening to him, it seemed he was saying anything that came to mind. This brat didn’t even have a fully developed brain yet!
“Are you an idiot?”
What nonsense was he spouting now?
Using such a child was almost akin to abuse.
It was unpleasant that he was under such a delusion, but even more so that he accepted it as natural.
I could tolerate him pretending to be clever and cunning.
But watching him grow accustomed to being trampled on, resigning himself, and confining himself to a small box was unbearable.
I never taught Delight that way!
“Did you just hit me? Why…?”
Seeing Serdin, who was still exaggerating and holding the back of his head while looking at me in confusion, made me even more irritated.
“Don’t say things like that!”
“Did you hear me?”
Serdin blinked and asked.
“Of course I did!”
“Just ignore it. I don’t put any meaning into it.”
Every time Serdin spoke, it made me furious.
I glared at Serdin and firmly opened my mouth.
“It has meaning.”
“Idiot. Fool.”
At least the insult came out accurately.
At least this feels a bit refreshing.
Even Delight knew how important titles were without being taught.
But this pathetic kid in front of me had no idea how significant the issue was.
“A title has power. As soon as you say it, it gives strength.”
“…By force? What?”
Why are you backing away now? Ugh!
“No! A title is important!”
“Important?”
Ugh, this means titles are used to manipulate.
This time, I will say it properly.
“Listen carefully!”
After taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth with determination.
“A title is a relationship! As soon as you use it, it gives strength!”
…The last part sounded weird this time.
It really was a mess. I felt like giving up.
“A title represents a relationship and gives strength when spoken.”
Serdin finally understood!
I nodded vigorously with shining eyes.
He gave a faint smile and tilted his head slightly.
“Is that really true?”
As if he wasn’t sure.
“Yes, believe me.”
It has the power to lead in a better or worse direction.
“So, if you’re not sincere, don’t use it.”
No one had taught this to Serdin until now.
It’s okay. I’ll teach him now.
‘Seeing this, you can’t help but recognize he’s still a child.’
No matter how much he grumbles or pretends it doesn’t matter, it shows.
Even if he frames it as a survival strategy, Serdin must have considered the Empress as real family. That’s why he genuinely wanted to help.
But to avoid getting hurt, he convinces himself that all his true feelings are just survival tactics.
That’s why he felt relieved and let his guard down because of my promise.
It made sense.
That’s also why I couldn’t call Delight ‘dad.’
It seems that old memories have strongly imprinted on me as well.
Once a title is set, it can’t be taken back.
Just like Serdin feels secure and I feel a sense of responsibility because of a seemingly trivial promise.
The moment I call Delight ‘dad,’ it will become more than just a convenient relationship.
Especially with Delight.
The word ‘dad’ stuck in my throat, unable to come out. It wasn’t just stubbornness about not calling a disciple ‘dad.’
I knew well what Delight’s sincere desire to hear me call him ‘dad’ was.
I couldn’t deceive him.
Delight was my only disciple. I couldn’t be a teacher who deceived his disciple.
