Etern’s eyes darted nervously between the two, anticipating the worst. If Wintier moved to grab Ziggkart by the collar in anger, she was ready to cling to her father’s arm to stop him.
The tension in the room thickened as an unbearable silence lingered.
For an eight-year-old boy to stand with his head held high before the enraged Emperor Wintier—any onlooker might have thought they were hallucinating.
Then, Ziggkart casually picked up the herb he had set down earlier. Wintier’s eyebrow twitched just as the boy spoke in a calm voice.
“If Your Majesty refuses to believe me, then you are free not to…”
“Daddy!”
At that exact moment, as Wintier reached out in fury to grab Ziggkart’s collar, Etern screamed and stepped between them.
The Emperor stopped mid-motion, nearly grabbing his only daughter’s head by mistake. His hand, swinging backward, hit the solid shelf behind him with a loud ‘thud’.
‘Ouch. That must’ve hurt.’
Etern bit her lip in frustration as she looked up at her father’s pained expression.
“Etern, move aside. I will deal with this insolent child immediately…”
“Daddy! Wait, just wait a moment! If the herb the Young Lord brought truly has the effect he claims, shouldn’t we at least try it first?”
“It’s absurd. I was a fool to entertain the words of such a child even for a moment. Guards!”
“If you send the Young Lord away, I swear I won’t look at you or talk to you ever again!”
At Etern’s unexpected words, the soldiers rushing in froze awkwardly in their tracks.
Wintier turned to look at his daughter, shocked. His lips moved slightly, and his expression grew troubled.
“What did you just say? Never again?”
“Never again. Not even when I become a wrinkled old lady. I’m not joking!”
To an outsider, it might have seemed like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum at her father. But Etern was completely serious.
‘There might never be another opportunity like this. I have to do everything I can.’
In her previous life, she had avoided Ziggkart as if he were the plague, refusing even to meet his gaze. But now, he had walked into the Empire on his own.
And he brought with him hope—the possibility of saving her mother.
If there was even the smallest chance of curing her mother, Etern was willing to try anything, even asking for help from a passing squirrel.
‘And if this works, it might stop Father from becoming a war-obsessed madman!’
Although she couldn’t change his temper, perhaps her mother’s recovery would calm him in ways nothing else could.
Wintier stood frozen, visibly shaken by his daughter’s declaration. Meanwhile, Ziggkart smirked smugly from behind her, his face as irritating as ever.
If not for Etern, Wintier would have grabbed the boy and shaken him until the food he had eaten came out.
“Daddy, please. I’m begging you. You want Mother to wake up too, don’t you? That’s why you’ve been so upset.”
Deep lines formed on Wintier’s forehead as he remembered his failed attempts to summon magicians.
Sensing his hesitation, Etern quickly continued.
“So please, just try believing the Young Lord. What’s the harm in giving it a chance? Even if it only works for a few hours or minutes, wouldn’t it be worth it if Mother opened her eyes? Daddy, I’ve never even heard Mother’s voice.”
Her voice trembled, and before she knew it, tears streamed down her cheeks.
Etern’s words were meant to persuade her father, but she herself truly didn’t know what her mother’s voice sounded like.
In her previous life, she once asked Dora what her mother’s voice had been like.
[The Empress had such a gentle voice. When she sang, it sounded like a little bird chirping, and when she spoke, it was as soft as silk brushing against your cheek.]
‘I remember being angry at Dora when she said that.’
Unfillable longing couldn’t be eased by someone else’s words alone.
If her mother were completely gone, invisible and unreachable, it might have been easier. But to see her mother every day, touch her face, and yet not know the sound of her voice—it felt deeply unfair.
“…Fine.”
Hearing Wintier’s unexpected response, Etern, who had been crying her heart out, abruptly raised her head.
Wintier sighed and spoke.
“We’ll do as you ask. So stop crying and come here.”
Sniffling, Etern wiped her tears and ran into her father’s arms.
Feeling the trembling of her small body, a shadow passed over Wintier’s face.
Ziggkart, who had watched the exchange in silence, looked somewhat dazed. The confidence he had shown in facing Wintier earlier had completely vanished, leaving him standing there, looking strangely hollow.
“Young Lord.”
Ziggkart blinked. His bright crimson eyes met Wintier’s sharp gaze.
The boy responded just as Wintier’s voice softened.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The princess has gone to great lengths to plead on your behalf, so I’ll place my trust in you—for now. While staying in the imperial palace, you may use whatever resources you need. If you require assistance, it will be provided. If you need additional ingredients, they’ll be procured.”
“…..…”
“Until the medicine is prepared, your words will carry the same authority as mine.”
Etern’s eyes widened to the point of almost popping out. Was her father really offering such extraordinary support?
She stared blankly at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. Meanwhile, Ziggkart, unfazed, simply nodded with the same nonchalance as if this outcome had been expected all along.
‘Was he always this fearless? What happened to the timid boy I used to know? Was it all an act? Or did puberty hit him hard?’
While Etern grappled with disbelief, Wintier gently set her down.
“Your eyes will swell if you keep crying.”
He lightly brushed her soft, tear-streaked cheeks with his fingers before pulling away abruptly, as though afraid his touch might hurt her.
‘Father can be so clumsy…’
Etern wiped her red, swollen eyes with the back of her hand, then buried her small face in Wintier’s palm.
Before he could pull his hand away, she pressed her warm cheek against his large hand and stood on her tiptoes to hug his neck tightly.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Wintier’s expression hardened. To others, it might have seemed intimidating, but Etern giggled softly.
‘He’s embarrassed.’
Etern spoke cheerfully.
“So, the Young Lord will stay in the palace while he makes the medicine?”
“That’s right.”
‘I was hoping we could send him off after gathering some people to make the medicine, but now…’
At that moment, Ziggkart stepped forward.
“If it pleases Your Majesty, may I make one request of the princess?”
“What? Me? What kind of request?”
Ziggkart turned to Etern and smiled slyly. His oddly charming, slanted eyes glimmered with mischief.
“I would like to borrow one of the princess’s chambers. The medicine requires long boiling, and the conditions of light and wind greatly affect its efficacy. From what I’ve seen, the princess’s quarters seem ideal for this purpose.”
