Chapter 1 - #Prologue. I’m Aika. Aika de Valliot!

I’m Aika de Valliot.

I have a mysterious power.

***

I’ve been on a cushion of thorns for several days.

However, it was a cushion that I climbed on myself.

“Phew…”

A sigh filled with irritation made my shoulders unconsciously winced.

“To think that he told me to take care of this thing, that old man out of his mind.”

At the confused look which is glaring at me, I turned my head and looked out the window.

Even when I avoided his gaze, my cheeks stung.

I wish he could stop staring at me. If he’s going to keep looking at me, do it with pretty eyes!

I wanted to speak openly like a chimney, yet I only shouted inwardly.

Because Mom said this person was the scariest person she had ever known.

He was even said to be more fearsome than His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, the Sun of the Empire.

“Hey.”

“…”

Besides, I’m sitting on the carpet, I can’t believe he’s sitting alone on the soft sofa.

He called out to me in a bad manner and snapped his finger.

I glanced at him, then turned my head away and pretended not to see him.

It was the most timid defiance I could do.

Though it’s true,

What matters if his face is handsome? His personality is bad!

Huwa, Mommm…

No, this isn’t the time.

Don’t forget why you came here.

I showed a smile on my face to try to make the relationship good again, but it quickly collapsed.

“Hey, Peanut.”

“I’m not ‘Peanut’!”

In the end, I couldn’t stand it and shouted out.

“Then Three Heads Tall. Come here.”

“I’m also not ‘Three Heads Tall’!”

“Then.”

Phew, do I really have to say that by words?

I looked down at my body.

No matter how much one looks at it with hateful eyes, it wasn’t a three heads tall body.

Mom said I was the prettiest and coolest in the world!

“Four Heads… Tall?”

Am I not at least four heads tall? I can understand to this extent!

Sneer, and I heard a sound ridiculing me.

I huffed and turned around, sitting down against him.

“Won’t you come when I call you nicely? You’ll regret it if I go there, though?”

Wow, really.

It seemed that the threat he was making wasn’t just a threat.

I curled my lips, puffed out my cheeks, and stood up with a look of dissatisfaction.

Then I walked in front of him and glared at him with triangular eyes.

Even with my head up, I was barely below his waist, yet I didn’t feel intimidated in the slightest.

“I have to live with you from now on.”

“…”

“I have no interest in raising children. So live as if you’re dead, huh?”

“…”

Hmph, I don’t have any interest in raising adults either!

I hugged the doll and just pouted while looking at it in a sulky way.

“Answer.”

He’s 18 years older than me, and he’s so mean.

An adult who was 18 years older was threatening me, who was 18 years younger than him.

It’s fierce, how fierce.

Phew, but we can’t help but live together.

Even if I really want to reach Mom, I can’t do that anymore.

“…Okay.”

It was complicated with many thoughts running through my mind, but I calmly answered.

“If you know, go and ask for food. Stop fooling around in front of me.”

“I already ate earlier, though…”

“Eat more. Since you grew up and stopped somewhere.”

He jumped up from his seat and brushed his hair roughly.

Then he tucked his hands in his pockets carelessly and strode past me.

“Phew…”

I sat down again.

It was as if a storm had raged.

We wouldn’t have lived together if it wasn’t for my mother’s will, well.

Grandpa likes me much, much more.

Without me, he’s meant to be short-lived, yet he treated me like this.

He has to press his nose very flat afterwards!

I won’t forgive him even if he regrets belatedly and beg for his hands to become his feet.

It’s no use begging me to live with him then, hmph!

“Tch.”

So, who that idiot who neglects me is, the family I will share the joys and sorrows with in the future.

It was Kassel de Valliot.

Mm, I mean, my one and only uncle.

***

The Mad Dog of the Valliot.

It was about Kassel de Valliot.

He sure is also, Kassel de Leguier.

The first time I met Uncle was at Mom’s funeral.

It was a sudden accident.

Mom was a very busy person.

She worked more days than rest, and even after giving birth to me, she continued to work in the Imperial Family.

There were many days when Mom had already gone to work the moment I woke up in the morning.

I never elaborated on what she did, but I knew Mom was the Prime Minister of the Empire.

[Prime Minister, here is the report.]

[Please lend us a hand, Prime Minister!]

I’ve heard Mom’s subordinates call her that quite often.

Still, I’ve never hated Mom. I wasn’t even upset.

Because Mom is the person who loves me the most in the world, and I love Mom the most in the world.

I don’t know who my dad is.

Mom didn’t tell me.

[Mom, what kind of person is Aika’s dad?]

When I asked about Dad one day, Mom just said that Dad is the one who has to do big things.

He hadn’t come to see me before, so at least he wouldn’t be a nice person.

After that, I didn’t ask Mom for fear of her being sad.

Anyway, Mom, who was so busy that she couldn’t open her eyes, left the island for a while as an extension of work one day and went down to the province.

I begged Mom to get into her carriage because she would come after 15 days.

Originally, I was fine with the maids without Mom and I played well alone, so it didn’t matter even if Mom was away from home for over a week.

However, that day, I strangely felt that I had to follow her unconditionally.

[Mom! I want to go too.]

[Does Aika want to go with Mom too?]

[Yeah. I will listen to Mom, I will be quiet, so can you take me?]

[Umm…]

[Only once! Mom, I wish only once!]

With Mom’s permission, I went on a trip with Mom for the first time.

On our way back home after Mom’s work is safely finished.

While Mom was reading a fairy tale book for me in the carriage, we were suddenly attacked and the carriage overturned.

[Aika!] 

I wasn’t seriously hurt because Mom held me breathtakingly tight, but I hit my head and lost consciousness.

And when I opened my eyes again, Mom had already left me.

Grandpa told me that I was found in the woods nearby, not in the carriage that Mom and I were in.

But I can hardly remember right after Mom fed me jewelry.

The Imperial Palace said they were investigating the truth about the carriage accident, but there was nothing I could hear.

I only heard that the Emperor was very angry.

It was like hearing that he had lost his reason.

I could guess why His Imperial Majesty the Emperor was angry.

Because His Imperial Majesty said that Mom and him were old friends.

He was probably upset because he lost an old friend.

And Mom is so smart, she does a good job, so that must have been very sad.

Mom’s funeral was held with great grandeur.

I couldn’t see the people properly because I was crying, but later I heard from Grandpa that almost everyone who worked in the Imperial Palace had been there.

And also other nobles.

And there I met Uncle for the first time.

[Mom…?]

He has Mom’s red hair, golden eyes, a slightly more prominent chin, and thick lines overall, but his face is so identical with Mom that he can be mistaken for her twin.

I just thought Mom was back alive.

Instead of crying and mourning like many at her funeral, Uncle looked at Mom’s coffin and people with eyes that seemed like they would kill people.

[Mom…]

I stopped crying and hugged Uncle, who looked just like Mom, and stuck with him for days.

Although on the last day, while I was asleep exhausted, Uncle disappeared and wasn’t there.

After that first meeting with Uncle, I ended up staying with Grandpa for several months.