Chapter 13
And so, not long after—
I found myself sitting at a hastily prepared table inside the audience chamber, my legs dangling as I idly swung them back and forth.
In front of me lay an array of colorful snacks.
So, what exactly had happened?
By the time I came to my senses, everything had been set up in the blink of an eye.
Servants had suddenly rushed in with tables and chairs. Then came the warm, fluffy cookies, followed by trays of fruit, and finally, beautiful cakes I’d never even dreamed of tasting back home.
This must be the power of an Emperor.
“Eat.”
With my mouth stuffed full of cookies, I quickly covered it with my palm as I tried to reply.
At that, His Majesty raised a hand with graceful indifference and pushed a tart toward me.
He keeps fussing over me… doesn’t he?
Even the cookie I’d just eaten had been personally handed to me by the Emperor himself.
Holding the tart in my hand, I snuck glances at him. His expression remained frighteningly stern.
But something… something about it felt different.
“If you want more, I can have them bring it.”
At that, he looked at me once more.
“Well, I…”
I almost started ranking the snacks by taste before shaking my head furiously.
Get it together, Cecilia. Just because you never had these things at home doesn’t mean you should fall for it now. Remember—he’s your enemy!
I steadied my heart as my eyes flicked to Berthold, seated at the Emperor’s left, watching me intently.
Don’t get carried away.
I was a child who knew her limits.
“Too much isn’t good. They said eating a lot is bad for your health.”
“So you know how to restrain yourself.”
The Emperor nodded slowly at my words, murmuring them as though to himself.
And at the same time, a strange certainty began to bloom inside me.
No matter how I look at this… doesn’t he seem to like me quite a bit?
Well, I had made a good impression on him earlier.
Or was it because he thought I was Harzen’s daughter? The blood of the royal line at work, maybe?
“I child.”
His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“That one won’t tell me easily, so I’ll ask you instead.”
Those piercing blue eyes—so like Harzen’s—stared straight into mine.
“Who is your real father?”
So it finally comes to this.
I set down the tart I’d been about to eat and replied firmly.
“I don’t know.”
“…”
“Mother never told me.”
Sounds like a lie?
But it wasn’t.
My mother had never once revealed who my biological father was.
From the day I was born, I had four fathers. And I was their daughter.
“Have you never thought your situation was… unusual?”
This time it was Berthold who leaned his head curiously, his tone almost amused.
Though I regarded him with suspicion, I answered diligently.
“Yes, I have.”
Children in the village had only one father.
But I had four. Of course, I’d wondered about it.
Some of the kids even asked me directly, ‘Why do you have four dads?’
But still—
“Just because it’s unusual doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
This world was built on that very premise. And even if it weren’t, my family had never had a problem with it.
“The other kids were jealous. They said I was lucky to have four dads who actually played with me.”
Because their fathers always shooed them away, telling them to play on their own.
Puffing up with pride, I shrugged my shoulders.
In that sense, my dads were truly the best.
Never tired, always asking me to play, constantly—
…were they really the best?
“Then.”
The Emperor’s voice cut in again, his face even harder than before.
Eek.
That face of his always scared me at first glance.
I flinched, then quickly reminded myself—
He doesn’t dislike me. That’s just how he looks. And besides, I have the world’s strongest mom and dads. Together, they could slay a Demon King or even end the world if they wanted.
“Aren’t you curious who your real father is?”
The Emperor’s question shattered my fragile self-hypnosis.
Curious?
Of course, I’m curious. But that’s only from the perspective of me as a reader of the original story. As Cecilia Miller, the answer is…
“Not really.”
I made my voice extra clear as I continued.
“Before I was born, Mother and my dads made a promise.”
“…”
“That from the moment I was born, they would all be equal parents. That they would all love me the same.”
Each of them would be a true parent.
Sharing responsibility, duty, love, and devotion equally.
“So to me, all four of them are my real fathers.”
The ones who always loved me.
The ones who always loved Mother.
My proud, beloved—
…Dads.
“That’s why I’m not curious at all.”
Besides, the world was doomed to end anyway. What did it matter?
Ugh. Now I’m depressed again.
Let’s cancel that whole “proud dads” thought.
This was all because they hadn’t been able to protect Mom properly, and I ended up in this mess.
“Haah…”
Without meaning to, I sighed.
At once, the Emperor’s icy-blue eyes narrowed slightly.
I snapped upright.
Wait—did I just sigh in front of the Emperor?!
Oh no. I had officially eaten my manners right along with the cookies.
“Um, well…”
I quickly straightened in my seat, scrambling to fix the situation.
But the Emperor spoke first.
“It seems you’ve been plagued with such questions before.”
His expression softened ever so slightly, his tone touched with faint regret.
I froze, eyes widening.
He misunderstood my sigh?!
Me? Tormented by such questions?
Absolutely not.
“Hehe.”
Scratching the back of my head, I gave a sheepish grin. In times like this, the best strategy was to laugh it off.
“Given the unusual circumstances, it’s only natural.”
This time Berthold chimed in with a gentle smile.
“It does seem those children are determined to hide it. Asking directly about this little one’s true father may prove difficult.”
“I’m not a little one.”
And that guess of his? Completely wrong.
Determined not to lose, I opened my eyes wide and shot back in a sharp voice.
“That part is exactly like when Harzen was a boy…”
Berthold murmured quietly, as though examining some fascinating new toy.
What exactly are you trying to dig out of me?
Well, whatever it was, I wasn’t about to make it easy.
And did he really think he was the only one allowed to observe?
I can do it too, you know.
When a person stares into the abyss, the abyss also stares back.
“Say…”
I had no idea what formal address I was supposed to use—Majesty, Highness, whatever.
I was just a country girl, fresh from the countryside. So I blinked innocently and asked:
“Are you Harzen-dad’s brother? And is Grandpa Harzen-dad’s dad?”
“…Ha.”
Berthold’s eyes widened for a moment, then he let out a soft laugh.
“Yes, I am Harzen’s elder brother.”
“Ahh.”
Feigning interest in the snacks, I muttered under my breath.
“Then why didn’t Dad ever tell me he had a brother…?”
“Hm?”
Berthold blinked, his eyes opening even wider than before.
“Are you saying Harzen has never once mentioned me?”
“Yes. That’s why it’s so surprising.”
I replied with a bright smile.
And just like that, he reacted exactly as I expected.
Still feigning innocence, I picked up the tart I’d abandoned earlier.
Half of what I said was just to test him.
The novel hadn’t said much about Berthold, but one line had been burned into my memory:
[Despite his arrogance and narcissistic nature, Berthold always cared deeply for Harzen.]
The key words here, of course—
“Arrogance” and “narcissism.”
Just earlier, even with the Emperor right beside him, he had introduced himself solely as Harzen’s family, as if the world revolved around him.
Everything must center on him. He must always be the most important.
That was Berthold.
So what happens when someone like him hears “I’ve never heard of you before”?
“Strange. Very strange indeed.”
Exactly this.
I stared quietly at Berthold’s stunned face, fighting the urge to grin.
