“The prettiest?”
“Yes.”
“Ah…”
It was just a compliment. Kailus felt that he had been sensitive for a moment.
Well, even he, who was indifferent to the news outside, knew that the story of Princess Felice was noisy. Even though she had short legs, he guessed she also admired pretty things as a female.
“If everyone who is pretty is a goddess, it will be difficult for you to become a goddess.”
Kailus thought as he swept over Moriana’s hair, which was messed up from running. If it goes according to the prophecy…
“My descendants, prepare for the time when the goddess returns. The power of the spirit will let you know when the time has come.”
“And when she is finally resurrected as the goddess, the strongest elementalist who has gathered the power of Eunomia will appear.”
If Moriana is the elementalist. The power of the spirit manifested in the former royal princess Izel and royal Princess Moriana. It signaled that ‘the time’ had arrived. The time goddess is being resurrected. That’s why it would be better for Moriana not to be an elementalist.
“Are you sleepy?”
“Yes.” Moriana, leaning into Kailus’s arms, yawned as if she was tired of running all day.
“You only eat, sleep, and play.”
“Dad says it’s okay.”
How can these short legs bear the weight of the most powerful elementalist who announced the resurrection of the goddess? He was probably just being sensitive to magic similar to his own.
“Ah, righ!”
Then Moriana murmured as if something had come to mind. “Goddess is taking ker of our older brother too.”
It was a sleep-talking voice.
“That’s why she’s Goddess. Hoam.”
However… Kailus stopped walking.
Goddess is taking care of our older brother?
Our older brother, goddess. Kailus repeated those words for a long time. But on the outside, he didn’t have the slightest movement on his face.
“Our tomboy is here.”
Then, the emperor’s voice was heard.
“I was so worried that she went to the temple again.”
The emperor looked at his sleeping daughter with affection.
“She’s like an angel when she sleeps, but I wonder if I’m raising a prince when she’s awake.”
Then he noticed Kailus, knowing for sure that he must have heard her talking about the goddess.
“Mori must be bored because the empress’s sink disease has worsened, and she can’t even see her mother. I feel sorry for her.”
At that time.
“Your Majesty.”
Kailus called the emperor.
“Who is ‘our older brother’?”
Instead, he said something very strange.
“Our older brother?”
“Can you guess who the princess calls for ‘our older brother’?”
“Where could you even find Mori’s older brother?”
And it’s ‘our older brother’ instead of just an older brother.
“Aren’t you sure you’ve not misheard it as our dad?”
TL/N: In Korea, the word older brother(오빠) and dad (아빠) differs only one vowel. That’s why the emperor asked if Kailus might have heard it wrong.
The emperor hardened his eyes as if to say there was no way she would say that. It was a face that he showed when he was genuinely serious or in front of his subordinates.
“She’s definitely said older brother. Moreover, it’s our older brother.”
But Kailus was adamant.
“That can’t be right. Your ears seem to have deafened because you’re so focused on practicing in the temple.”
“Is there anyone who she calls like that, even as a joke?”
“None.” The emperor shook his head.
Since the royal princess is a direct descendant, she must call the collateral royal family members by their first names.
“If there’s a direct descendant too, she can call it like that. Well, like the son you gave birth to.”
The time when the two men were discussing ‘our older brother.’
“But you’re not married, so you don’t even have children… Ah,” The emperor paused for a moment. “Now that I think about it, there is Izel. The son of Izel.”
“…”
“Right. If that’s the case, Mori could call him like that.”
There was a strange silence.
“Is he alive?” Kailus opened his mouth first.
“I don’t know. I sent him out of the palace to stay alive.”
The emperor looked at the sky over the window. He was dazzled by the blue light.
“I hope he’s living a normal life somewhere.”
“He must be dead.”
Kailus shook his head. No matter how much that child received the blood of elementalist from Izel and the magic tower lord, that child couldn’t have survived.
“If he’s dead, there’s no reason to send him out of the imperial palace.”
“At least… He wouldn’t have lived like Izel.”
Izel had to live her whole life in hiding to hide her identity. If it turns out that the spirit’s power is still here… There was no way the Grand Duke Benio and Duke Felicite would just ignore it. In particular, Grand Duke Benio has always been aiming for the throne.
They must have created a fake elementalist to take over the throne.
So, it was better to believe that the spirit’s power had disappeared.
“Well, even if that child is alive, how can Mori sense it when she has never been outside the imperial palace?”
“It’s possible if Mori has divine power that surpasses mine.”
“That’s ridiculous.” The emperor dismissed it.
Even though Moriana was born as an elementalist, she is only three years old now. It was an age where proper manifestations hadn’t even begun.
“How can this little girl beat your divine power?”
Kailus thought about those words. If she’s the most powerful elementalist… I thought it might be possible.
“What exactly did Mori say?”
“She said the goddess is taking care of our older brother.”
“Goddess?”
“I heard she said that when she saw the news about Princess Felicite.”
Kailus looked down at her round cheeks, which she slept on without knowing the world.
“So I asked why she called her a goddess…”
“Why?”
“Because she’s pretty.”
The emperor, who was nervous at the moment, burst into laughter. “Oh, she really deserves to be called a goddess for a good reason.”
His expression became more comfortable. “As expected, you heard it wrong.”
“Pardon?”
“I got a lot of help from the princess at Ash Benio’s welcoming party. How funny the Grand Duke’s expression was at that time.”
The emperor tapped the sleeping Mori’s stubby nose.
“In addition, there are things that need to be helped by her in the future.”
Then he muttered, “My smart daughter must be noticing that.”
“She must be saying that the pretty goddess is protecting our dad.”
Kailus became quiet.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You’re making an expression that criticizes me for being shameless.”
“Is it obvious?”
Anyway, what a boring guy. The emperor clicked his tongue.
“Anyway, it looks like Mori likes the princess. She says her face is the prettiest in the world.”
The emperor thought. Come to think of it, it seems like the two have similar personalities. Not only was the empress not able to play with the princess due to her poor health, but he himself was suffering from heavy work. How bored Mori must be to play with that ice-cold guy?
Should I really entrust Mori’s education to the princess?
Only women from the count’s family or higher could serve as the royal princess’s teacher. He put it off for a while because he couldn’t see anyone who stood out.
“I know you did it to annoy the Grand Duke.”
“It was a very refreshing choice.”
“So, how did you end up escorting a young lady you’ve never seen before?”
Even to Kailus, the emperor’s unexpected behavior was unfamiliar.
“The princess must have recognized Your Majesty.”
Most young ladies would have fainted as soon as they encountered the emperor.
“Ah…” Then, the emperor cleared his throat. If he said, ‘I disguised myself with your face,’ he would be strangled by him.
“Oh my, Mori will wake up. I need to go and put her to bed.” He skillfully picked up Mori out of Kailus’s arms.
“Ah, right… Don’t be too surprised if the princess recognizes you.”
“What do you mean?”
Kailus’s eyebrows furrowed. She had never seen my face, so how can she recognize me?
“Princess Felicite has a great eye. Oh my, Mori is whining. Then!” The emperor walked out of the temple, saying the strange thing that Mori, who was asleep, whined.
“…That’s suspicious.” Kailus quietly looked at his back.
* * *
“It’s not possible! Princess! I can’t do it! Just tell me to die!”
“It’s okay because Redian knows that you’re my person. Give him this and have a conversation.”
“C-conversation?”
“He’s pretty cute.”
Maze, who had been pacing around with the item in his hands for a while, closed his eyes tightly.
“P-Princess told me to deliver this to you!”
“…”
As soon as he opened the iron cage door and entered, Maze suddenly shouted. His voice trembled. It was because he remembered the trainer who had broken his neck a few months earlier when he had entered Redian’s cage.
“The princess ordered me to do it!”
“…Noisy.”
At that time, someone coldly scolded him.
Gasp. Maze met the blue eyes in the darkness and screamed inwardly. Cute? How can you call that cute?
“…”
The sight of him leaning his head against the wall with his arms crossed looked like a beast. It seemed that Maze had somehow woken up Redian, who was barely about to fall asleep.
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were asleep. How dare I!”
Maze almost fell to his knees, instinctively using extreme honorifics. Even so, Redian is the slave, and he’s the trainer…
What on earth is this intimidating feeling?
“P-P-Princess!”
“What about princess?”
Only then did Redian quietly think about it.
