I Became the Daughter of My Disciple

 

 

 

***

 

 

Late at night.

 

Instead of preparing for bed, Blueny had just finished getting ready to meet someone.

 

“Your Majesty, the Empress.”

 

“I told you not to come looking for me like this.”

 

Without even turning around, Blueny coldly warned the figure who had appeared behind her.

 

“Monia.”

 

Monia, who once served as her maid and now took care of the princess, had come to see her.

 

“I know, but I was too anxious. Are you really going to leave?”

 

“I must. I never intended to stay here permanently anyway.”

 

Since Blueny’s return, Monia had sensed that she planned to leave again.

 

But Monia had kept her distance, feigning ignorance.

 

She was focused on her duty to care for the princess. No matter how much she once served the Empress, the princess was her priority now.

 

Yet, she couldn’t hold back any longer and had finally come to find her.

 

“You’re doing so well now, happier than ever. This is the first time you’ve lived so peacefully together. It used to be so….”

 

“This is an illusion, a falsehood built on lies, not the truth.”

 

Monia was saddened, but Blueny remained unwavering.

 

“He confessed to me. He admitted that everything about us being a respectful couple was a lie. He said he deceived me.”

 

“…..….”

 

“I actually found the lie rather comforting.”

 

It’s a bit disappointing.

 

She let out a slight smile as if hiding her true feelings.

 

“I enjoyed it for a while, too. But no matter how good a cake looks, if it’s an illusion, you can’t really eat it.”

 

Her voice held a tone of bitter sarcasm.

 

Not once had she forgotten that this peaceful time would soon end.

 

“Still, it was a bit unexpected. When he first saw me, his reaction wasn’t what I anticipated. I never thought he’d be so weak-hearted.”

 

He was struggling, believing his lie had ensnared her.

 

“He doesn’t even know I’m the one deceiving him.”

 

Blueny’s face grew heavier as she continued.

 

“Maintaining this act of memory loss is becoming difficult.”

 

I should wrap this up soon.

 

“Monia, don’t come looking for me again. You know nothing.”

 

“But….”

 

“You have your duties here. Focus on those.”

 

Blueny left no room for argument.

 

“I will do what I’ve set out to do.”

 

 

After Monia left, Blueny stepped out of her room, just as she had planned.

 

She headed straight to the kitchen.

 

“I’d like a quiet talk with His Majesty. Could you prepare a simple snack?”

 

“Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll have it ready right away.”

 

“No, I’d like to take it myself.”

 

“Just a moment, please. It’ll be ready shortly.”

 

The chef in the kitchen quickly prepared a snack using some fruits and cheese.

 

“Thank you.”

 

After a moment, Blueny received the tray with the snack and wine.

 

As the kitchen staff discreetly left, she took out the powder she had brought with her and was about to add it to the wine.

 

“Are you secretly trying to give that to Dad?”

 

“!”

 

Turning around, she saw Violyana standing in the empty kitchen.

 

The young girl had been watching her every move.

 

“Why are you here, Princess…?”

 

Unable to hide her surprise, Blueny asked, caught off guard by the unexpected presence.

 

“I was waiting because I thought you’d come, Your Majesty.”

 

“Could you possibly… know something? How?”

 

The girl, with an unchildlike poise, responded calmly.

 

“Well, it’s suspicious when the Empress pretends not to remember.”

 

“What are you talking about…?”

 

Blueny tried to deny it, but…

 

“It’s All Exposed Now.”

 

There was no chance of hiding it anymore. Well, there was no other choice.

 

“It seems that way.”

 

Blueny admitted it calmly.

 

“So, what do you think I should do now?”

 

Blueny asked with a meaningful tone, approaching Violyana.

 

Her shadow loomed over the small figure of the girl.

 

 

Blueny’s gaze was intense, as if she hoped to intimidate her.

 

“Why are you pretending to have no memory?”

 

Ha! As if that would work on me.

 

I purposefully stared straight into Blueny’s eyes and asked.

 

She flinched, then slowly opened her mouth.

 

“Perhaps it’s because you’re my daughter—you’re perceptive and smart.”

 

Blueny stretched her lips into a smile, admiring her.

 

Huh?

 

“You’ve been suspicious of me from the start, haven’t you?”

 

She didn’t bother to deny it and revealed her true self.

 

“I know you approached me to keep an eye on me.”

 

Of course, Blueny had known everything.

 

“I enjoyed spending time with you. It allowed us to share moments together.”

 

So, she hadn’t avoided me but instead pretended not to notice.

 

“But even though you’re my daughter, you can’t interfere with my plans.”

 

“What if I still try to interfere?”

 

“Then we would become enemies.”

 

Blueny was firm.

 

She meant it. Her gaze had grown cold as she looked at me.

 

But I wasn’t frightened.

 

Because I knew the truth hidden behind her coldness.

 

Blueny was only pretending to be a bad person.

 

She had no intention of harming me, yet she was trying to scare me.

 

It seemed like she wanted me to back off on my own.

 

Unfortunately for her, that wouldn’t work on me.

 

“What do you think of my dad, Empress?”

 

This was the most important question that hadn’t been answered.

 

I understood Delight’s feelings.

 

But what about Blueny’s?

 

“I’ll decide whether to be your ally or enemy based on how you feel about my dad.”

 

“So, I’m the one being judged now, huh?”

 

Blueny’s expression subtly changed, as though she had been outsmarted.

 

“Very well, then. I suppose I’d better answer wisely. To me, Delight is….”

 

She thought seriously, her lips slowly parting.

 

“…Someone who always exceeds expectations.”

 

It sounded almost sarcastic, depending on how one heard it.

 

I was a little confused by what she meant.

 

“When I returned this time, I realized he had raised you better than I expected. I’d believed he would, but seeing it for myself, I could tell he truly cherished you.”

 

“…You were thinking about me?”

 

“Of course. You’re the daughter I wanted to protect with my life.”

 

Though her kindness to me may not have been fake, it felt formal.

 

I had never been sure of what she truly thought of me.

 

But now I could feel her sincerity.

 

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to gain your recognition as a mother.”

 

Blueny drew a clear line once again.

 

She looked at me calmly and continued.

 

“I only gave birth to you; I haven’t done anything else.”

 

She was saying she didn’t have that right.

 

It all made sense now—she hadn’t tried to get closer because she felt undeserving, not because she was hiding something.

 

I was beginning to understand her thoughts.

 

“So, whatever happens, focus only on your dad. Resent me all you want, then forget about me.”

 

“You’re wrong.”

 

“I’m wrong?”

 

“If you didn’t want to be discovered, you should have sided with me.”

 

If she had done that, I really would have resented her.

 

But instead, she told me to ignore her and think only of Delight.

 

“Well, it’s too late now.”

 

With that statement, I wouldn’t resent Blueny.

 

Because now I knew what her true intentions were.

 

“Empress, you really care about my dad, don’t you?”

 

“………”

 

“You want to protect him, right?”

 

“He’s already strong. Does he need my protection?”

 

“Of course he does. You want to protect him, not because he’s weak but because he’s precious to you.”

 

That’s why I want to grow stronger, too.

 

What people want to protect may vary, but…

 

“I want to protect my dad because he’s precious to me.”

 

For me, Delight had always been among the things I wanted to protect.

 

That alone made Delight special to me.

 

“Isn’t it the same for you, Empress?”

 

“……….”

 

“Then, you and I share the same goal!”

 

When goals align, it’s only natural to feel stronger together.

 

I already knew what I wanted to say to Blueny.

 

“Please be honest with me. I’ll help you.”

 

“…But you might have to deceive Delight. Could you really deceive your own dad?”

 

“That would be so easy!”

 

What’s the big deal about fooling Delight?

 

I could do it without batting an eye.

 

“How can you decide so quickly without any hesitation? You’re just like me,”

 

Blueny said, looking at me with admiration.

 

But… somehow, that sounded like an insult?

 

Was she saying she was pleased because I had inherited her terrible personality?

 

“Have you always been this way, Empress?”

 

“Haha. Are you disappointed that I’m not an innocent empress?”

 

Exactly.

 

“No way! I think we’d get along great!”

 

“I feel the same.”

 

A grin spread across my face.

 

Blueny spoke slowly.

 

“I’ll tell you everything. But first, let me confess something.”

 

She had a faint smile at the corner of her lips.

 

“I’m going to share a secret I’ve never told anyone before.”