The Emperor's Daughter

Chapter 411: The Emperor’s Daughter 411

 

“Ahh, I feel awake!”

Ria asked the maid to bring in some honey water, which Valer gulped down in a single sip and crashed on the couch. Ria looked at her pathetic-looking younger brother and clicked her tongue. Seeing that, Valer smiled.

“Did you go to another party?”

“Yes.”

“With who?”

Ah, well.

“With who?”

“…”

‘Man, why all the questions!?’

Valer thought he could almost hear Ria’s inner voice, but probably because she seemed moody.

As Valer stretched his hands, Ria folded her arms.

“Use that passion in your sword. If you cut down your partying to half, you would be a better knight than Sanse.”

“I don’t want to.”

He liked swords, but he didn’t want to be an excellent knight.

Valer’s answer only brought in a sneer on Ria’s face. But Valer was smiling brightly as ever.

‘What does it matter? We only have one life to live.’

It seemed very much like a case where he acted like a child, not intending to compromise his beliefs with reality. Ria only found it irritating.

“What were you up to, Ria? Did you work again?”

“Yes, your sister is a busy person.”

Her expression was too stiff. It made Valer doubt something. No matter what it was, the princess wasn’t someone who would express herself.

After thinking about it, he realized something.

Yes, that was it!

“Your Majesty has done something!”

He knew it. Valer’s suspicions were pretty much on the spot. Ria’s expression darkened at the mention of her father. He enjoyed the moment a lot more.

She had an expression that meant she was trying to hold back her anger.

“It must be because of your dad!”

Eventually, Ria took a huge breath.

“If it isn’t, I’ll slap you and push you to eternal sleep. No, even if you find the world easy to walk through, how can you ask such things to my face? How do I live? I can’t even hear anything because of how shy I feel!”

“What are you even blabbering about?”

Valer asked by taking Ria’s dessert. As if waiting for Valer to utter that specific question, Ria poured out everything.

“This time, the Ancief family sent a marriage proposal, and dad tore it right in the face of the giver. ‘How dare they send that to my daughter'”

“Puah!”

Indeed, the tyrant.

He expected it to be of something serious, but the answer was too unexpected.

Ria glared at Valer for laughing about it. It seemed like he was having a good time.

“Rather, I thought he would be hurt or killed, just like the last time. Uh, that situation.”

“That is our Majesty for you.”

The most incomprehensible Emperor.

Ria giggled at Valer’s words. Seeing Ria, who was shaking her head, made Valer laugh hard, probably why she got irritated immediately.

“Think that’s funny? Is it that funny?”

“It is funny!”

And it wasn’t just funny. Valer’s stomach was hurting from laughing.

Well, he was someone who got used to His Majesty and his way of doing things, but Ria seemed to take his actions into serious consideration still. Shaking her head, Ria muttered to herself.

“He is my dad, but sometimes I can’t handle what he does.”

“Huh.”

It was a bit pitiful to see a princess complain.

The princess always wondered how she was born for such a rude man and the troubles she had to face, but when one looked at them together, they both looked like they hailed from the same puzzle pieces. Valer could only smile at the thought.

Although they said different things and acted opposite each other, they were close; the father and daughter were very close.

Obviously, if one would hear how the father and daughter converse, they would doubt if they were even related.

However, their actions with each other would speak a different story. Valer couldn’t imagine his Emperor, Caitel, watching someone very keenly or closely as he did with Ria, but the way he watched Ria made it convincing that his vigilance was all for his daughter. Maybe that was what happened if one had a daughter?

He had other people’s company when Ria was young, but as Ria began to grow, Valer could notice that Emperor Caitel would push others away.

The Emperor wanted to spend time with someone related to him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just surprised.”

As he smiled and shrugged, Ria asked for a reason.

The princess wasn’t someone with a great personality. On the contrary, no other woman was as evil as her when she’s stressed. If Valer went stiff or nervous, she would bring up some of his embarrassing childhood stories!

Still, the innocence of her childhood hadn’t disappeared yet.

“The tea mom sent, was it good?”

“Yes. Sil is the best. Sil, great.”

“Let my mom know that; go to her and give her that message. She will love hearing it from you.”

Ria nodded her response, affirming Valer wordlessly.

It was a very trivial gesture, an everyday gesture, but the way she smiled and the beauty she inherited from her father made her look bright. Valer felt like he had to protect Ria from other hyena-like men.

Of course, in the forefront of Ria’s guards was Emperor Caitel, which was reassuring, yet, even Caitel was human, and he would die; thus, Valer made a pledge to stick close and protect her.

When he was young, he would think the little girl was weaker.

No, honestly, Ria, who treated the Emperor very casually and looked after the others, seemed very motherly. Even right then, he felt embarrassed to say it out loud, but there was a reason why he followed Ria.

“Huh.”

Her little feet naturally walked on the ground with an enigmatic vibe. It was a strange atmosphere as if she would turn into a single entity with nature like she had taken the blood of a spirit.

A noble angel.

The girl who seemed taller than him looked smaller as time passed, probably because of the different ways boys and girls grew.

Valer laughed at the thought running through his head.

“Why are you laughing again? Did you curse me in your head?”

… He canceled the angel title he gave her.

She was pretty, but her response was never satisfactory. Valer made a sour face.

“Like I’d tell you.”

“You have a death wish!”

Her little fist hit his side. He could avoid getting hit if he wanted to, but Valer just took the punch. It never hurt to be right.

Ria, who managed to land her strike, glared at him.

“So, what about Sanse? Are you here alone?”

Valer smiled at Ria.

“Sanse must be out working.”

“And you?”

“…”

He wanted the conversation to end there.

Instead of answering, Valer turned his gaze away.

Ria just clicked her tongue, knowing the answer.

Anytime she had nothing to say, she would ask Sanse.

Weak move, Ria.

It must have been since then—the time when Sanse started to grow. The memory of that day suddenly emerged in Valer’s mind; he couldn’t help but stare at Ria sitting in front of him.

Ria tilted her head when Valer asked.

“Ria, do you know why Sanse started learning how to use the sword?”

It was an unexpected question; Ria’s frown was enough to guess that she didn’t expect it.

“How would I know that?”

During that time, Valer had already started learning swords. Maybe because he was excited about swords, but Valer used to be so crazed with the idea of using them. Perhaps because Ferdel didn’t learn the sword, he never pushed Sanse or Valer into learning swordsmanship.

However, the rest of the family were outstanding in the art sword. They were skilled, so his grandfather made young Valer learn swords by tempting him with all kinds of things.

Valer, who began learning swords, asked Sanse to join him, but Sanse never agreed to it, probably because he hated the fact that he couldn’t play with Ria.

However, one winter, he changed his mind.

“Why did he learn?”

“I won’t tell you.”

“…”

Valer laughed and avoided the hairpin which flew at him. Ria was frowning a lot.

She always used her pretty face to frown.

“So, why do you think I learned it?”

He thought she wouldn’t know it, but Ria replied with a frown.

“You said that your grandfather gave you a sword. A legendary one.”

It was the right answer. She remembered it.

“Oh? You remember?”

“Do I look like some kind of fool?”

“Uhm.”

And that called in for another fist.

The day Sanse started learning the sword was a windy one.

Ria was playing around one day and got hurt by a shard of glass she was trying to pick up because she wanted to protect Sanse, who had broken the vase; however, Valer wasn’t there, so he didn’t know the exact details.

Later, Ria pretended and lied to Caitel that her mistake got her injured since the truth would make their father hurt Sanse, but the young Sanse was shocked to learn that Caitel had hurt Ria.

For a few days, he wouldn’t eat or sleep, making the others worried. Then, Sanse confessed to Valer about what had happened and said he wanted to become stronger.

Ria would always say that she was fine, but Sanse hated himself for not doing something when he was in harm’s way.

“So what is the real reason?”

Ria couldn’t hold back the curiosity tugging her mind; Valer smiled as always.

It made no sense for Sanse to take up the sword and protect someone of higher status than him, probably because Valer didn’t have such a mindset.

However, seeing that small little angel in front, he could only smile.

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“Later, ask Sanse directly.”

The kid grew up.

Any child would grow up and turn into an adult.

‘Just like us,’