That’s why I never wanted to see Carnan again, because he and I always clashed whenever we found ourselves in close proximity.
I shamelessly stared up at him.
His face looked so much younger than I remembered, but he still exuded the same dominant aura he had at the peak of his power.
“This is Princess Dorothea Milanaire, Your Majesty,” the nanny formally introduced me as she dragged me from behind her to right in front of Carnan.stand in front.
Nanny, you don’t have to try so hard.
Carnan looked down at me before asking with annoyance, “Are you not being properly educated?”
And the vow I made to live differently was the only thing holding me back from telling him that parentless children are bound to be without manners..
“No, Your Majesty! The princess is very smart and special!” the nanny answered in my place
“Well, all I see before me right now is an arrogant midget.”
“It’s only because the princess is seeing His Majesty for the first time today. Please believe me your Majesty, she is well versed in Royal etiquette.…”
The nanny nervously glanced at me, urging me to do something praiseworthy.
I sighed and grumpily bent my knees in a perfect curtsey.
“ I see you, Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
I only because the nanny wanted me to do this so badly.
As I politely greeted my progenitor, he cold eyes glared down at me.
“How old is she?” he asked the woman next to me.
Caught off guard, the nanny stammered, “Huh, yes?”
“I am six years old this year,” I replied, feeling sorry to see her struggling so much.
“How is that special?” Carnan shot back with disdain.
I must say, I felt proud of myself for calmly replying, “The nanny is excessively fond of me so please don’t blame her too much. Your Majesty is correct, there is nothing special about me, ” after he referred to me as ‘ that.’
“Your… Your Majesty! As you can see, the princess is humble and very eloquent for her age. She is already memorizing the entire imperial family’s history!” The nanny hurriedly added.
She seemed very determined and dared to list all my qualities in front of Carnan.
Her tone was passionate, and she looked hell bent on making me catch the eyes of the father who neglected me, but I didn’t feel grateful at all.
After hearing the nanny’s words, Carnan’s eyes narrowed at me.
“Is it true that you memorized the family tree?”
I wanted to say no, but if I did, the nanny’s neck would surely be cut off for scheming against the emperor.
I couldn’t bear to let that happen. She’s the woman who has worked so hard for me in two lifetimes after all.
In the end, I obediently replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
I had no choice but to keep the conversation with Carnan going.
“Memorize it well.” the impertinent man ordered.
I don’t know how but I managed to catch the middle of my forehead, which was about to be crushed by his audacity.
“Doesn’t your Majesty already know about the imperial family’s lineage.”
Carnan’s expression hardened at my rebellious response; making everyone tremble in fear as if a winter wind was blowing in the garden.
Well, everyone except for me.
“Do you perhaps not know it yet?” I asked very confusedly.
“Are you testing me now?” he growled.
“I think your Majesty is the one trying to test me.” I immediately fired back
And once again, everyone released surprised gasps at my remarks. The nanny’s eyes were opened so wide, I feared they might pop off.
The people present were most likely scared for my life, but I knew….
I knew that even though Carnon didn’t give a damn about me, he’s not crazy enough to cut off his six-year-old daughter’s neck.
I was the tyrant in the family, not Carnan.
It hurt to admit, but he was a monarch with a fairly well-deserved decent reputation, and very skilled in politics.
Too bad he didn’t put any of his skills into being a good father.
“What’s in it for me?” I bargained.
Needless to say, my unpredictable question almost took his breath away.
Literally.
“Are you rejecting my orders?” The Emperor asked in a shocked tone.
“I am only trying to save your Majesty, the busy Emperor’s time. Aren’t you so busy that you haven’t looked for me since I was born?” I explained sarcastically, innocence painted on my expression.
Oh, I didn’t mean to outrightly reproach the ‘father’ I met for the first time in 6 years.
It’s just that I didn’t like him giving me orders out of nowhere.
Carnan’s eyes shook slightly at my last words, but went back to normal so fast I doubted what I just witnessed.
“Are you only going to recite your own family tree when it’s in your interest?”
In that moment, I saw it.
I saw a spark of interest ignite in Carnan’s eyes as they looked at me.
“I just hope that at least my and your Majesty’s time will not be wasted.” I answered, trying to keep disbelief in check.
“What the nanny said is true.”
Carnan, who muttered with a brief glance, again looked down at the little me, which was only about the height of his knee.
“Dorothea Milanaire. If there is anything you would like to have, you can tell me.”
Wait, now I can tell you what I want?
I was honestly startled by the words I never, even in a million years, expected him to say to me.
His reaction was very unexpected.
Too unexpected. I thought he’d say that I was rude.
As far as I can remember, Carnan never said anything like this to me.
But now he seemed willing to at least throw a bone at his taunting dog.
The problem is,
I want nothing from you. Nothing at all.
Maybe if he did this before the return, but right now–after everything I’ve done–there was not a single thing I wanted from this man.
I knew better than anyone that having hope in him was meaningless.
But Carnan did not tolerate that a mere dog disrespected the Emperor’s sincerity.
“Answer me.” he demanded, his voice filled with bitterness.
Him looking at a six years old child with those frosty eyes made the nanny restless, but fortunately, I had long developed resistance to the pain they’re capable of inflicting.
But again, to appease the nanny–I shook my head for a while–acting as if I was thinking hard of what I wanted from the kind Emperor.
“Please make the finest wine in my name.” I requested, voicing out the only good idea I was able to come up with at the moment.
To be absolutely honest, seeing Carnan’s face made me crave alcohol.
“What…?”
He looked like he was doubting his ears.
“If it is well matured, I think It’ll be perfect to drink by the time I grow up.”
I can’t make it right now, so I thought it wouldn’t be too bad to have Carnan do it for me.
Alright, wine. Let’s have him do something useful for once.
I don’t know how grape farming will be this year, but if everything goes well, this little experience will become a drink that can be enjoyed in moderation after I become an adult.
At my answer, Carnan’s stern gaze returned to the nanny.
“Nanny, what did you teach this child?”
“I, I have never talked about alcohol in front of the Princess, Your Majesty!”
The nanny, trembling in fear, lowered her body to the floor and begged for forgiveness.
“A six-year-old just asked me to make wine, how do you explain this?.”
Carnan’s voice threatened the nanny in a savage manner.
What does he think he’s doing? He didn’t even have any interest in my education up until today, wasn’t it inappropriate for him to be getting angry about it now?
“It wasn’t something my nanny taught me,”I stopped Carnan before he gave the pitiful nanny a heart attack.
“If your nanny didn’t teach you, then who did?”
“I read about the subject in a book. I have read that some wines had even been aged for as long as several decades, so I became curious about it.”
Actually, I used to drink quite a bit, but this body was way too young to admit that I loved alcohol.
More than that, I already knew deeply about the adult world, but again it was best to keep my mouth shut because if I said anything else, the nanny could literally have a stroke and die.
“Which book?” he questioned.
Ahh, why does he ask so many questions?
I bet this could be counted among the longest conversations I’d ever have with him during both lifetimes.
“It’s a book called “Portrait of Babelua”. There is a scene in it where Babelua is drinking old wine with her lover, describing it as greatly flavorful. So, I wanted to try a good wine someday.”
I casually improvised something and wrapped my arms around the terrified nanny.
She might be annoying and too fussy, but she’s the only one who takes care of me.
Plus, I needed someone to feed me, and bring me books from the library…
“You’ve read <Portrait of Babelua>?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
<The Portrait of Babelua> was a play written from a knight’s point of view while he was traveling with a fallen nobleman named Babelua. The character’s anguish and metaphorical expressions were excellent, so it was selected as the essence of the play.
Still, it’s not very long and the words themselves were not difficult to read. It shouldn’t be impossible for a six-year-old to enjoy it… should it?
Carnan’s eyes stared intently at me before finally agreeing to my request..
“Alright, I’ll do as you wish and make the finest wines under your name. In return, prove that you memorized the imperial family’s genealogy well. Here! Now!”
“However, if you get even one thing wrong, your nanny will be punished for lying,” he added.
At Carnan’s words, the nanny’s body almost collapsed.
To make such a threat at a six-year-old child just because of some book.
Really…..
I sighed inwardly.
Nevertheless, I nodded thinking that maybe my tyrant’s cotyledon might have actually come from my father.
“Okay, Starting with the first Milanaire, I will recite everything perfectly.” I agreed.
Since I already decided to live a good life, I had to save the nanny’s life.
* * *
“Princess, you did a great job!”
As soon as Carnan left, the nanny squeezed her trembling heart, and poured praises on me.
Well, I suppose she was grateful. It wouldn’t be wrong to be; I just recited several books about the entire Imperial bloodline in front of Carnon, without making a single mistake.
Even though it took quite a while, the beast listened to my speech till the very end.
It was a one-sided long test, but if one ever met Carnan in person they’d understand why he did that.
Carnan was weird.
Simple.
“His Majesty will now take interest in you, Princess.”
“Nanny, I don’t want attention from the Emperor.”
I nonchalantly said this as I built blocks of wood like a normal child.
I feel bad everytime I meet Carnan.
It’d be hard to live a good life if I constantly feel like I have a hole in my chest. Therefore, in order to achieve my goal, I must stay far away from him.
On the basis of a neat syllogism, I wanted to completely avoid Carnan.
However, the nanny looked at me with incomprehensible eyes, and soon became drenched in sorrow and hugged me tightly.
“Poor child…”
“…”
I was held expressionless in the nanny’s arms.
“Princess, Your Majesty is the princess’s father.”
Yes, unfortunately Carnan is my father, and I have no choice but to be his daughter.
“His Majesty will like the Princess once he knows how sweet you are. He just had been too busy to pay attention to you before now.”
“Stop it, Nanny.”
I know better than anyone that it’s useless to have such expectations.
I was done hurting myself hoping that ‘today’ was finally the day I’d get the affection I begged him for.
“Leave now. I’m sleepy, and wish to be left alone.”
So, to stop the nanny from talking about Carnan any further, I pushed her away.
* * *
