“You’re not scared at all. You’re such a funny kid.”
Daihan threw a star candy bottle at Lev. Caught off guard, Lev barely managed to catch it.
Daihan stared intently at Sephiel before suddenly pressing both of the child’s chubby cheeks, making her lips form a beak-like shape.
“It feels weird. And so small.”
“Because it’s a human baby. Normally, at the age of five, this is the normal growth rate.”
Lev answered cautiously.
When Daihan finally let go, Sepihel patted her cheek with her small hand because it was tingled.
“Aren’t his chyeeks like this too?”
Sephiel blinked, thinking about Erga, who was much bigger than her.
“I don’t know. I’ve never touched his face.” Daihan said indifferently.
‘No wonder he turned out so twisted.’
Sephiel suddenly realized—that Erga must have been like that because he never received his father’s love. For the first time, she felt sympathy for him.
“Did you know, little human, that I once thought of throwing you off a wyvern’s back?”
Daihan’s eyes glinted with amusement as he spoke.
The elf soldiers held their breath.
“Ywou wyon’t do it.” (You won’t do it)
Sephiel flinched, but looked at Daihan without fear.
Now that Sephiel knew Daihan was the one who had dealt with Lotto, he seemed a little less scary. Her fear subsided, and her composure returned.
“How do you know that?”
Daihan asked as if it was fun.
“Ywoung masyter… he… hates havving another banqyuet. He’s too busy sleewping.” (Young master, he hates having another ball. He’s too busy sleeping)
Daihan’s expression became strange.
“So, you’re telling me my son finds it bothersome to hold another ball just to pick a bride?”
“Yeah.”
“How does this little thing know my son so well?”
“That’s…..”
Lev looked conflicted, unsure whether to laugh or cry in that tense moment.
“Miss Baby adores the young master very, very much. She’s only waiting for the day she’ll finally marry him.”
‘Lev, I won’t forget this.’
Sephiel was annoyed at Lev for being so lack of awareness today.
“Yeah. That was quite moving.”
Daihan let out a short laugh as he spoke.
“…..”
“Send her to the annex. By the way, why was this kid wandering around the castle walls?”
Daihan had certainly given that order.
No matter who was chosen as the bride, all that was needed was a name. The human child should have been locked away in the annex, kept out of sight.
“Ah…..”
The soldiers hesitated, exchanging glances.
“Right now, Miss Baby is staying in the main building.”
Pause.
Daihan’s gaze turned cold once again.
“On whose authority?”
“It’s the order of the young master.”
Daihan glanced at Sephiel. Then he spoke as if he had lost his temper.
“Okay. He must be the one who brought this little kid here to annoy me.”
“……”
“Take her—wherever her little nest may be.”
“Yes.”
* * *
“You met Master Daihan today?”
Berry’s face turned white.
“Oh, my goodness. Nothing happened, right?”
“Yeah.”
Sephiel nodded since it was true that nothing much had happened.
“Can I stay here?”
Sephiel was sitting on Marie’s lap, having her hair gently combed.
“Oh, I’m sure Elton will tell you to go to the annex.”
Berry muttered and then asked cautiously.
“Did he, by any chance, ask for your name?”
“Oh, yeah. And I did just as ywou tauwght me… ‘I am Syepil’.” (Oh, yeah. And I did just as you taught me… ‘I am Sephiel’)
“And your surname?”
‘Surname?’
Now that she thought about it, Sephiel had never really had a proper surname.
In her previous life, her family had refused to acknowledge her as a legitimate heir.
‘My existence was a secret to the outside world, and even when I started handling administrative affairs later on, the fact that I was a princess remained hidden.’
A surname… Even being called by her name had been rare.
‘Hey.’ ‘Cursed one.’ ‘Wretched thing.’
Those were the names she had been called most often.
‘That’s right. I have a full name too.’
‘Sephiel de Cayla Moran Suetra Allegro.’
She repeated it in her mind.
‘The meaning of the name isn’t that great either.’
That was the full name she remembered as her own.
“I didn’t say my suyname.”
“Oh. You did very well.”
“Why?”
Berry gently stroked Sephiel’s head as she spoke.
“He hates the Allegro royal family.”
“Oh.”
Even though they were her family, Sephiel could think of too many possible reasons.
“Why?”
“Look, the Union of kingdoms, It is where the four monarchs rule.”
“Yeah. I know.”
King Wittegar III of the Allegro Kingdom.
Grand Duke Fuller of the Blue Duchy, a noble lineage established by a margrave.
Grand Duke Daihan of the Remdragon.
And Grand Duke Morohan, ruler of the free city-state of Volun.
‘Among them, only the Allegro Kingdom originated from a small kingdom, so they continue to uphold their royal lineage’
That was common knowledge to Sephiel.
“The first head of this family, Grand Duke Cherno of Remdragon. He liberated this land from the demons. And after that,…Grand Duke wants the kingdom of Allegro to abandon the name of the kingdom and become a Duchy.”
“Why?”
“Hmm. This might be a bit difficult for our Miss Baby to understand. Your family joined forces to reclaim this land from the demons, right?”
“Yeah. Wight.”
“But not all humans are as pure and selfless as you. Once they defeat one enemy together, they look for the next one.”
So, once the external enemy was gone, civil war would likely break out.
That was what was scary, Sephiel understood.
‘They say that in the past, the land of the Union of kingdoms was owned by the Demon Tribe.’
It is said that humans, who were suffering from the oppression of Florentine, the underworld king, and demon lord, allied with dragons to reclaim this land and drive the Demon Lord back to the Demon Realm.
“The current four Monarchs are all descendants of those who made great contributions in the war against the Demon Lord. But the first Grand Duke feared conflict among them, so he wanted the Allegro Kingdom to give up its royal title.”
“Oh…”
“And so, he wished to grant equal authority to the four lords, forming a unified nation where all major and minor matters would be decided through discussion and voting.”
Sephiel also remembered the contents of the book.
The first Grand Duke of Remdragon.
‘He wanted a four-duchy system and a united nation.’
A kingdom without a king, where four Monarchs rule through discussion and govern everything.
“But the Kingdom of Allegro… reneged on that promise and refused to relinquish the throne. That’s why the other nobles are referred to as grand dukes or sovereign dukes, while only the royal family of Allegro is still referred to as ‘royalty’.”
That was different from the history Sephiel had learned.
The Allegro kingdom taught that they were the only legitimate kingdom and had a ruler superior to other monarchs.
Their pride in being the only rightful ‘royal family’ was immense.
His father, Witeger III, would often tell the crown prince:
“The destiny of our royal family is to unify the Union of kingdoms of the Four Monarchs into a single Allegro Kingdom.”
‘So, because I come from a royal family with a history of betrayal, that’s why he told me to watch my back.’
‘Then Erga, why on earth did that kid pick me?’
‘Is he giving me poison and medicine at the same time?’
Telling her to be careful while putting her in danger.
Sephiel hugged the pink raccoon doll in her arms tightly.
“Besides, the Allegro royal family acts as if they are the leaders of the Union of kingdoms, which irritates the dragons.”
Berry whispered.
“Then why dwon’t they just get rid of them? The dragwons are styong.”
Berry flinched.
“First, there is the Peace Treaty. In that treaty, the Grand Duke of Remdragon cannot invade other countries within the Union of kingdoms without a special reason. There is a clause that says it is okay in self-defense, though.”
Acting arrogant and insisting on being a ‘kingdom’ wouldn’t count as self-defense.
So, no matter how annoying Allegro was, they would never be the first to attack.
“That’s all?”
“And the Grand Duke… doesn’t seem to care much about this world anymore. Besides soon…”
Berry paled and shut his mouth.
Sephiel thought she knew what Barry was about to say.
‘Yeah, are the people in this family going to pack their bags soon?’
Since they would be leaving soon anyway, there was no need to stir up trouble.
‘Well, that must be it.’
Sephiel thought.
‘Come to think of it…’
Sephiel fiddled with the blanket with her hands.
‘What will happen if the dragons leave this world?’
‘Right now, the dragons were backing the Remdragon Duchy, but….’
‘Wouldn’t the Allegro Kingdom reveal its ambitions?’
‘If war broke out…’
‘Would there be any safe place left in the Union of kingdoms?’
Sephiel hesitated.
“Miss Baby?”
“Oh, huh?”
Sephiel unknowingly let out a groan of distress while deep in thought.
A small head shook, making hair swish lightly.
“Oh my, how adorable! Did your head start hurting because of such a difficult topic?”
‘No. I understand everything.’
Sephiel puffed out her cheeks but obediently nodded.
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to understand everything right now. There’s still plenty of time… But you should avoid the Grand Duke. He’s someone who cuts ties as sharply as a blade. After all, he’s a Fire Dragon.”
“I know. That guy’s the yed dragwon, wight?” (I know. That guy’s the red dragon, right?)
“Yes, that’s right.”
At Berry’s words, Sephiel remembered what she had read about dragons in her previous life.
‘Dragons each have their own attributes, and their personalities differ accordingly.’
Fire Dragons were aggressive and obsessed with power, but they also despised breaking promises and lying.
“Was he a Fiyre Dragwon from biyth?” (Was he a Fire Dragon from birth?)
Berry’s eyes widened as if surprised by Sephiel’s question.
“No. Dragons aren’t born with an attribute. Their attributes are determined as they grow, depending on the influences around them.”
“Then he….”
Sephiel thought of Erga.
“Yes, he currently has no attribute. It will be determined based on how he grows.”
“……”
“So, if our young master is to grow into a good dragon, he needs to see many good and beautiful things. Since he doesn’t have any friends, if you ever get the chance, please be kind to him.”
“But ywou told me not to myeet him….”
“Yes. It’s best not to meet him. He gets sick often.”
Berry tapped Sephiel on the nose.
“He doesn’t like me.”
“Adults can tell. He doesn’t actually dislike you. After all, he allowed you to stay in the main building, didn’t he?”
“……”
In truth, if Erga hadn’t given that order, Sephiel might have been abandoned in the annex until adulthood.
‘That wouldn’t have been so bad, but…’
‘Yeah, I admit it’s more fun here.’
Sephiel thought.
‘But my damn family is still useless.’
She had finally escaped and planned to enjoy her life, yet she still couldn’t shake off the bad reputation.
‘Yeah, I don’t want to deal with them again.’
Sephiel decided to reflect on her wickedness by reviewing her Death Note tonight.
“Miss Baby, it’s snack time.”
“Yeah! I love snacks!”
For now, she would focus on finishing today’s snacks.
Hiding her evil thoughts, Sephiel eagerly nodded.
* * *
