Episode 08
Clatter, clatter—!
Late at night.
I was racing alone down a moonlit corridor.
As the old saying goes, “strike while the iron is hot.”
Following the wisdom of those great ancestors, I intended to head straight to the Rosarium—the Garden of the Gods—without delay.
“The road ahead is long, and every second counts. No need to hesitate—I’ll go straight!”
The palace security would undoubtedly be tight after the recent incident, but as the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp.
If anything, the outer defenses might be more focused outward, leaving small gaps someone like me—a child—could slip through.
I moved quietly, avoiding the attendants still wandering the halls, muffling my footsteps.
My legs were short, so I wasn’t as fast as I’d hoped, but that actually made it easier to stay hidden… or so I thought.
“Adel?”
“Huh—!”
Just then, my father—whom I had clearly just parted from in my room—appeared silently behind me without a single sound!
“Goodness. What are you doing out here alone at such a late hour?”
He lifted me into his arms, his tone full of curiosity.
His hold was steady and secure, but the body I pressed against was unexpectedly firm with tightly honed muscle, making it less comfortable than it should have been.
Given that he was only wearing thin sleepwear, the solid, rock-like contours of his body were even more apparent.
Ah, right…
I had forgotten—I was a child now, living in the same palace as him.
“U-um… I couldn’t sleep…”
“Why couldn’t my lovely daughter sleep? Still shaken from earlier today, perhaps?”
“Mmm…”
“Shall I read you the story we left off on earlier?”
Damn it.
So it was obvious—him not noticing my presence wandering the halls in the middle of the night would actually have been the strange part.
The heat that had risen to my head without me realizing it slowly cooled.
At the same time, all the energy seemed to drain out of me.
I slumped like a soft rice cake melting into his arms.
“Dad, can we go to the Rosarium?”
Since I was already out, it felt wasteful to just turn back.
I wasn’t the type to beat around the bush.
If I was going anyway, I might as well check how many guards were stationed there.
“The Rosarium?”
“Yes!”
I nodded eagerly, and my father seemed to understand.
“My Adele… you must be upset that your long-awaited birthday banquet ended the way it did, yet instead of showing it, you’re worrying about your sibling…”
His affectionate gaze made me flinch for a moment.
…Wait.
Me worrying about the Fourth Prince? In reality, it was the exact opposite…
But I had always been shameless, so I didn’t even blink as I lied.
“Yes! I was worried the fruit in the Rosarium might have been hurt. I just want to go check if it’s okay.”
My father gently patted my head.
“However, Adel. The Garden of the Gods is currently off-limits, so you won’t be able to go inside.”
“Then just up to the entrance, please? Okay?”
I looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes.
Completely helpless in front of his daughter, he hesitated.
“Very well. We’ll do as Adel wishes.”
In the end, he gave in.
Carried in his arms, I headed toward the Rosarium where the earlier fire had occurred.
“Adel, aren’t you cold? I should have had you change into something warmer.”
“I’m fine! Dad’s clothes are warm.”
The night air outside was slightly chilly.
Feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding that we might end up returning to the palace, I slipped under the gown he wore over his sleepwear.
At first he seemed a little ticklish, but he didn’t push me away—instead, he held me even more securely.
Nestled in his arms like this, I felt like a baby kangaroo.
A quiet warmth of safety filled my chest, and something inside me ached softly.
In truth, having lived as Asphodel twice, I had spent more time with Roxanne than with my family from my original world.
Perhaps because of that, he now felt like my real father.
The death I witnessed in my first life had been far more painful than when I read it in the novel.
In my second life as well, when I learned of the Fourth Prince’s rebellion, my first thought was of his safety.
‘No matter what happens to anyone else… I will protect my father at all costs!’
Just as I reaffirmed that resolve, his body gave a faint tremor.
It was subtle, but since we were pressed closely together, I could feel it.
“Carus.”
“Lord Roxanne?”
Ah—it seemed he had sensed someone approaching.
A moment later, a dark-haired man with a somber aura appeared before us.
Carus—the father of the Fourth Prince, whom we had seen earlier at the banquet.
Perhaps due to the fire, he looked drained and walked with heavy, sluggish steps.
Then he noticed us and widened his eyes in surprise.
“I assume you’re on your way to see the fruit.”
“Yes. I was worried, so I planned to stay up all night nearby… Lord Roxanne, why are you out so late?”
“We were also heading to the Garden of the Gods. Adele couldn’t sleep because she was worried about her younger sibling.”
“The Third Princess?”
At my father’s words, Carus’ eyes widened as he looked at me.
Seeing him closely, his features resembled the Fourth Prince’s quite a bit, though he appeared far more innocent and gentle.
There was even a pitiable quality about him.
With red, swollen eyes as though he had been crying, Carus looked at me with emotion.
“Goodness… to come all the way here at such a late hour… Thank you, Third Princess. And you as well, Lord Roxanne.”
But looking at him, I let out a small, quiet laugh.
What is this?
The faint black mist that had been surrounding his body began to writhe, eventually engulfing his entire face.
A foul, indescribable stench emanated from the mass of darkness.
Slap!
“Ahh!”
“Adel?!”
“Are you alright, Carus?!”
Oops… a habit from my past life when I briefly played the role of a saint.
In moments like this, I should just act like a child.
“Ah, sorry! There was a bug.”
“Are you okay, Carus?”
“Y-yes, I’m fine. It didn’t hurt at all.”
Carus rubbed his forehead where I had struck him, laughing foolishly.
I smiled innocently as well, wiping my hand against my father’s robe.
But my eyes were fixed on the dark energy that had clearly weakened compared to before.
I was certain.
That was the exact opposite of divine power, the force of sacred energy.
It was impure energy—the very source of power used by villains in the novel.
“Oh my, our lovely princess! How wonderful—you’re eating so well on your own today without being picky at all.”
The next morning, as I happily stuffed my face with breakfast, I reflected on yesterday’s events.
“Have you grown up already now that your fifth birthday has passed?”
Margaret chuckled softly, gently wiping the corner of my mouth.
“Careful now. Don’t eat too quickly—you might choke.”
Margaret was my assistant caregiver.
In Rosantina, it was common for the emperor to be female.
In such cases, young royals were typically raised directly by their fathers.
Additionally, each child was assigned one or two attendants of the same gender as assistant caregivers.
When the royal child turned twelve, they would move to their own palace with only their dedicated attendants.
“Mm, I can do it myself.”
I awkwardly brushed away Margaret’s ever-helpful hands.
“Oh? Our princess eats so well all on her own. How clever and dignified you are!”
Margaret smiled warmly, showering me with affectionate praise.
But that only made me squirm in my seat, making breakfast feel oddly uncomfortable.
‘Living through a childcare story in real life really isn’t this fun…’
Back when I was just reading novels, it was enjoyable.
A healing story where the surrounding characters dote on the cute heroine—what’s not to love?
‘Ah… but I never wanted to be the one receiving it…!’
Still, as I sat there under Margaret’s attentive care, the fact that I had truly returned to the past began to feel real once again.
For a fleeting moment, I had feared that if I opened my eyes, I might find myself back in that white, spirit-like space—but thankfully, that never happened.
After sleeping deeply as if unconscious, I woke up late, unlike my father, who had already left to attend the emperor’s breakfast gathering with his consorts.
In the end, I hadn’t been able to visit the Rosarium last night.
Because while I was with Carus, my body had grown cold, alarming my father, who immediately brought me back to the palace.
I insisted we return afterward to check on the fruit, but it was useless.
Margaret, who had come after hearing the commotion, also tried to stop me.
