Chapter 6
The Emperor’s insane stunt made my head spin.
“I can’t believe it…”
He actually sent an inspection squad.
In my previous life, I’d never heard of anything like this happening at the main estate.
After I was deemed unfit to inherit, I’d been as good as invisible.
A useless parasite. A good-for-nothing.
Both in Korea, and here, in the Tepharoa Empire.
Ishia and Leticia had much in common.
Ishia had grown up being called a parasite by the orphanage director, and Leticia had been told all her life that she was worthless.
To overcome that, Ishia threw herself into studying, while Leticia clung to the household.
Because both of them had wanted to live.
That’s why this life — whether as Ishia or Leticia — was so precious.
“I won’t let it repeat. Not again.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them.
To do that, I first had to get through this situation safely.
But judging from the atmosphere…
“Hmph.”
The air in the room was thick with tension.
And no wonder — my grandfather was holding himself back for the Emperor’s sake.
He hadn’t opposed the Emperor’s unreasonable command, and had even followed it dutifully.
But seeing him now…
“He’s about to explode.”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
In my previous life, after this very incident, Grandfather and the Emperor had fallen out. The Emperor, offended, had extended Grandfather’s house arrest under the charge of “insolence.”
And that extended confinement had caused Grandfather’s health to fail… and he had died.
So I had to stop him this time. No matter what.
But—
“What?”
“What kind of insane nonsense is this, my lord!”
“Surveillance? We must drive them out at once!”
The retainers were more furious than Grandfather himself, veins bulging in their necks.
“We cannot let this go unchallenged, my lord!”
“I agree with Count Rivier!”
“These people…”
Instead of calming Grandfather down, they were egging him on!
When people stoke emotions, sorrow becomes grief, and anger becomes rage.
Someone needed to defuse this before it got worse, so I glanced at Bennet—
“Silence.”
But it was Grandfather himself who brought order to the chaos.
His single low, sharp word cut through the uproar like a blade.
Everyone fell silent, shoulders shrinking. The timid Jason even hiccupped.
I hugged the book that was nearly as big as my torso tightly to my chest — not because I was scared of Grandfather, of course, but to protect the book.
What if he made me leave it behind?
As I hugged it tighter, Grandfather lifted his gaze, fingers still absently rubbing the beast-shaped armrest of his chair.
“Let them in.”
“My lord!”
“It is an imperial decree. As vassals, we must comply.”
“But this is the Asier Duchy!”
“Even the First Emperor himself once declared he would never trespass upon Asier land!”
“We are still his vassals.”
“Enough.”
Grandfather brushed off the protests lightly, leaning back into his chair, fingers still stroking the faded spot on the armrest — the only place worn smooth from years of touch.
“Just like Father’s sword hilt…”
The gesture was so similar to my father’s habit that I looked up—
“Father!”
Without so much as a knock, my second uncle, Andrea, entered the room, with his wife, Belia, following behind.
Andrea’s unremarkable brown hair and neatly waxed mustache contrasted with Belia’s long red hair and simple navy dress.
Their son, Chandler, squealed and darted into Belia’s skirts.
“Mama!”
He seemed relieved that reinforcements had arrived on his side.
Belia patted his back soothingly, while Andrea raised his head, face flushed.
“To put the Asier estate under surveillance? That’s absurd!”
“……”
“This is nothing short of an insult — to you, to me, and to our entire house!”
“……”
“I’ll go to the palace myself and demand an audience—”
“That’s enough.”
“Father!”
Andrea stepped forward, but Grandfather silenced him with a raised hand.
“And what right do you have to negotiate on this family’s behalf?”
“Father!”
The unspoken words hung heavy: You’re still nothing — what could you possibly accomplish?
Andrea’s face reddened further.
In truth, when Grandfather had been placed under house arrest before, Andrea had stayed silent — complicit by inaction.
He must have thought that once Grandfather was confined to the estate, authority would pass to him.
But the retainers had ignored Andrea in the capital, sending all reports directly to the estate instead — even paying high transmission fees for it.
In other words, he had the title of acting lord, but none of the power.
No wonder he was anxious now.
“Incompetence isn’t a sin… but it’s dangerous in the wrong hands.”
One thing was certain — I couldn’t let Uncle Andrea seize real power.
But if this situation continued, I couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t happen again.
In my past life, during Grandfather’s prolonged confinement, Andrea had made his move.
I couldn’t let that repeat.
So the first step was clear: end Grandfather’s confinement.
“First, we should focus on lifting His Grace’s house arrest, Lord Andrea.”
“Which is why I’ll go negotiate with His Majesty—”
Tap, tap.
“Grandfather.”
“Oh— Lady.”
Bennet, startled, rushed forward as if I’d overstepped, but Grandfather stopped him with a gesture and looked at me.
“What is it?”
“Can I borrow your ear for a second?”
“…My ear?”
Everyone stared at me in disbelief, as if I’d just signed my own death warrant.
It was hard not to laugh.
But to my surprise, Grandfather leaned down without hesitation.
The gasps around us were almost comical — retainers covering their mouths, Andrea and Belia frowning in clear disapproval.
Bennet’s expression, though, was unreadable.
But their opinions didn’t matter. I had work to do.
Nothing to lose, everything to gain.
“I missed you, Grandpa.”
Then, quickly, I cupped my hands around his ear and whispered,
“About the house arrest — you can end it yourself. The war in Pelluania will start soon.”
Then I hugged his neck tightly.
I could feel his body stiffen under my small hands.
Awkward silence filled the room.
Grandfather was frozen mid-bend, and I was clinging to him.
Some might have thought it was an act — some calculated display of affection.
But it wasn’t.
I really had missed him.
In my previous life, it was only after his death that I realized he’d been the one quietly protecting me in my father’s stead.
Maybe that’s why…
Whenever I saw a grandparent laughing with their grandchild, I thought of him.
And I regretted — not saying these things while he was alive.
I should have held his hand one more time.
I should have run up and hugged him, just once.
In truth, the reason he had never doted on me wasn’t that he didn’t care — it was that I had kept my distance.
I’d labeled him “strict” and avoided him, never once trying to cross the line myself.
How could he have shown affection when I’d shut him out?
We’d never even had a proper conversation.
So this time, I wanted to change that.
Not just to win his favor — but to do all the things I’d regretted never doing before.
Like now.
As I hugged him tighter, Count Rivier, watching from behind, smiled kindly.
“My, how admirable.”
“Indeed.”
“She’s grown so much.”
“Wiser than the other heirs, even.”
Even stern faces softened. The atmosphere, for a moment, grew warm.
But—
“Leticia, darling, you’ll tire your grandfather. Come here now.”
Belia, unable to stand it any longer, called to me with a gentle smile, hand outstretched.
“Yes, come here this instant!”
Andrea’s harsh tone broke the warmth like ice cracking.
Belia only smiled more sweetly, but her husband’s expression remained severe — he never did know how to read a room.
“How dare you interrupt the adults?”
I reluctantly released my hold around Grandfather’s neck.
“…Yes, sir.”
Then, with a sheepish little smile, I straightened up and waved my hand.
“Goodbye, Grandpa.”
I spread my small fingers wide and wiggled them.
I thought I saw the faintest twitch of a smile on his lips — but I couldn’t be sure.
Still smiling, I turned and bent down to pick up the History of Asier I’d set on the floor.
“Ugh—” I grunted as I lifted it.
Andrea reached as if to snatch it away, but Grandfather’s voice stopped him.
“Leave it—”
Then, after a pause—
“If she wishes to read it, let her.”
“!”
