CHAPTER 43…………………………..
I immediately pursed my lips.
For some reason, I had a bad feeling something I was worried about might actually happen.
Please, just don’t kick Dad out…!
“……”
“We’re doing a great job raising our daughter, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Kyle.”
Mom quickly jabbed Kyle’s dad hard in the ribs and, while he winced in pain, pushed his head down.
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Majesty. The kids are just startled, that’s all.”
“No, they’re not?”
“As you know, Cici following us here wasn’t planned… and we had to come in a hurry, so she’s probably tired.”
“I’m fine, though—ow!”
When Kyle’s dad kept mouthing off, Mom elbowed him again in the ribs.
He definitely wasn’t fine now.
“…It’s fine.”
Either way, Grandpa smiled faintly at Mom and said,
“You’re the family of the Empire’s hero and benefactor. I can understand this much.”
“Your Majesty…”
“You must’ve come a long way, worrying for your child. I’ll make sure you’re treated well during your stay.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Only then did Mom relax and beam brightly.
I silently gave Grandpa a mental thumbs-up.
As expected of my grandpa.
He’s really changed.
“Yuria, wait.”
Just then, Dad—who had been bent over awkwardly thanks to Mom’s hand—suddenly stiffened and spoke.
“I’m being completely serious right now, just between us.”
He lowered his voice to an unusually serious tone and whispered,
“No matter how you look at it, that guy doesn’t seem like the Emperor. Don’t you think so too?”
I pursed my lips again.
Sorry, Dad.
He heard everything.
Now I completely understood how Mom felt.
Why she was so anxious about bringing Dad to the Imperial Palace.
Why she didn’t want to bring the communicator along.
This was the answer.
Because when Kyle’s dad came to the palace, he acted like a crazy mutt…
Anyway, time passed like an eternity as we tested Grandpa’s limits.
“…You may go now.”
In the end, Grandpa spoke with an exasperated face, practically kicking us out.
I silently applauded his patience.
Who ever said my grandpa had a bad temper? Who said he was scary?
There’s no other emperor in the world this tolerant!
“…You two, honestly.”
Once we were out of the audience chamber—practically thrown out—Mom spoke through gritted teeth.
“How could you behave so rudely in front of His Majesty?”
“So what?”
Dad shrugged, seemingly unaware of the situation’s gravity.
“Everyone knows I hate people in power. Heaven knows, Earth knows—even that junior power-holder over there knows.”
Derrick’s dad tilted his head, looking puzzled, and said,
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Derrick, you didn’t even greet His Majesty!”
Mom finally raised her voice, unable to hold it in.
It had been a while since I’d seen her like this—it felt oddly refreshing.
And… kind of sad.
“Well, today was especially bad, but…”
Then Harzen’s dad—the so-called “junior power-holder”—spoke.
“To be honest, it was kind of satisfying.”
Kyle’s dad frowned.
“Ugh, now that you say that, it suddenly feels wrong. I should probably start being more polite.”
I nodded.
Yep, that’s my dads.
Hearing them talk like this really made it feel like home again.
“See, that’s exactly the problem!”
Mom glared daggers at Kyle’s dad.
“You weren’t this bad before—why were you especially rude today?”
Derrick’s dad summed it up in one word.
“Venting.”
“Well, duh, wouldn’t I be angry?”
Kyle’s dad finally exploded.
“They suddenly show up out of nowhere, drag peaceful people out of their countryside home—already annoying enough—and then…”
He pointed at me.
“Taking her too? That was crossing the line!”
Ah, so that’s why Dad was mad.
I cautiously raised my hand to speak.
“Excuse me, Father, objection.”
“What is it?”
“Coming here was entirely my own decision.”
Technically, they didn’t take me—I was the baggage they got stuck with.
“Ah, right. True.”
Dad ran a hand through his hair with a smirk.
“You just wait.”
When his sharp silver eyes met mine, my shoulders flinched.
“I’ll deal with you later.”
“Eep…”
Should’ve kept quiet.
Bad move.
“And another thing.”
Dad turned away from me, grumbling again.
“You said you’d be back soon, so why are you still here? I was worried for nothing.”
“Ah, well…”
“And what’s wrong with the Emperor? Why’s he acting so weird?”
“Watch your mouth, Kyle.”
Mom lowered her voice.
“This is the Imperial Palace—you know that.”
“I know, I know.”
Dad rolled his eyes.
“I’m just curious. How did Cici even get here? Why does the Emperor I knew seem like a totally different person? And why are you defending him so much?”
Well, to be fair, the dads didn’t know anything about what happened over the past week.
“I’ll explain everything.”
Mom, seeming to have the same thought, spoke more calmly.
“Let’s get out of here first.”
* * *
After returning to our assigned quarters—while attracting plenty of stares—
Mom dismissed all the maids before explaining everything that had happened.
When Yuria Miller’s brief “core summary session” was over…
“So, basically,”
Kyle’s dad, who had surprisingly listened quietly until now, began to speak slowly.
“Cici somehow found out, stole the invisibility cloak from my lab, followed you here, became friends with that guy’s father—”
“His Majesty the Emperor.”
“—right, His Majesty. And then, for some reason, the guy who used to be the king of stone-faces suddenly turned 540 degrees and apologized to her.”
“……”
“And the Empress, who we thought was just sick, actually almost got assassinated—but Cici caught the culprit using a truth serum cookie—”
“The cookie His Majesty gave her.”
“—right, that cookie.”
After his rapid-fire summary, Harzen’s dad clapped weakly twice.
“Nice summary.”
I joined in with genuine applause.
A perfect recap.
“To think you caused all this chaos in just a week…”
Dad looked at me, then grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
“As expected, you really are my daughter.”
“Heh.”
Feeling proud, I wiped under my nose with my finger.
I knew Dad would say that.
‘I’ll have to brag to him later.’
Like about the private lab Grandpa gave me…
Or the sneezing powder I made—though maybe I shouldn’t mention that part.
Anyway.
“So, where’s my invisibility cloak now?”
