Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren

  Duke Elgy stood out on the filthy streets.

  Drunks talking nonsense, gangs fighting for control of territory, and even tavern keepers angry to the point of throwing out drunken patrons, kept their mouths shut as Duke Elgy walked by.

  He was much taller than the others and had an arrogant expression, with an attire that seemed so high-class that it was even difficult to look at him. In anyone’s eyes, Duke Elgy was either a high-status nobleman or a member of the imperial family.

  The people here knew well that it was a loss to fight against such nobles.

  However, one had the courage to do so.

  “Hey.”
That person was so small that he shouldn’t even be considered an opponent. There were people who despite their short stature fought well, but this man didn’t even look like that.

  Everyone who had shut their mouths laughed among themselves, muttering that the thin man had a lot of guts, but that he didn’t know it was suicide.

  However, the man approached Duke Elgy as if he were an acquaintance.

  “Thank you for helping me find my daughter.”
“I helped you find your daughter? When did I do that?”
“Well, not directly. But didn’t you make it possible for me to meet Viscount Roteschu?”
The man smiled wryly and continued speaking in a friendly voice.

  “In any case, I know you helped me for an ulterior motive. That’s why you asked me to pretend not to know you the next time I see you. So I will not greet you again, nor pay you for what you did.”
It was a soft but malicious voice.

  The corners of Duke Elgy’s mouth turned up in a twisted way, and he looked at the silver-haired man who was still close to him.

  His clothes were old but did not look cheap, and he had well-defined features despite being small. This man, who would be quite popular if he were well groomed, was Rashta’s real father.

  When Elgy stared at him, the man smiled even more wryly. Then, with his hands shoved in his pockets, he asked quietly,

  “By the way, what is your relationship with my daughter? Huh? Well, it doesn’t matter what relationship you have with her. What matters is that you sell information about my daughter, isn’t that right?”
The man moved closer to Elgy and held out his palms.

  “So give me money. That or I’ll tell my daughter everything you’re doing behind her back. I need money to keep my mouth shut, alright?”
He wiggled his fingers with a mischievous expression. He would soon see his daughter to get money out of her, he seemed really happy to be able to get money out now too.

  “You’re contemptible.”
Elgy was surprised. Although he had met all sorts of evil people in his risky adventures, he could count shameless people like this guy on the fingers of one hand.

  The man seemed not to care what Elgy thought, he kept his hands outstretched and mocked the Duke.

  “What’s the matter? You seem to have a lot of money, but you resent paying to keep it a secret that you sell information about my daughter—”
But before the man finished speaking. Elgy grabbed his head with one hand and slammed him against a nearby wall. Those around them fled in shock.

  The man struggled with both hands.

  “What the hell! Let go of me! Let go of me!”
Elgy didn’t let go. Instead, he reached out his other hand and grabbed the man’s neck as if to crush it.

  “Say what you want. I don’t care.”
As his windpipe was being squeezed and his head pressed with tremendous force, the man waved his arms in panic. Hastily pounding on the wall where his head was pinned, the man begged for his life.

  Elgy released the man just before his eyes turned completely white, and walked away without even threatening him.

  The man coughed a few times and wiped tears from his eyes. As much as he wanted to curse, Elgy was already far away. The man smiled awkwardly as he looked at his back.

  “How can a nobleman have those eyes? They look like those of a murderous bastard.”
Then, the man said angrily,

  “It’s fine. I’ll do as you say. I’ll tell my daughter everything. My daughter is the Empress! My daughter is the Empress!”
The man’s loud voice reached Elgy’s ears.

  ‘I won’t even have to intervene.’
Elgy shook his head at the man’s confident shouts he could still hear.

  ***

  Today was the day her real father had decided to visit her. Rashta spent the entire morning in shock.

  Rashta not only hated her father because she had been a slave, but because he never gave her love.

  Now my shameless father will appear in front of me.

  “Your Majesty, is it all right not to prepare any dishes?”
“It’s okay. This is not a special guest.”
The maid left immediately at Rashta’s reply. But her expression was filled with curiosity. The maid wondered who was coming, why the empress was so pensive, and why she didn’t want tea and snacks to be prepared. The maids did not know that the person who would come to visit the empress was her real father.

  Rashta ground her teeth. In fact, until last night, she didn’t know either. Although Viscount Roteschu had told her that her father would be back, she hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

  Even Rashta had thought that maybe if she didn’t look for him, he wouldn’t appear. But last night, a messenger sent from Roteschu Mansion destroyed Rashta’s hopes.

  While she was deep in thought, the maid entered again and let her know that her guest had arrived.

  “Take him to the drawing room.”
Rashta counted to a hundred before going to the drawing room. As soon as she entered, she saw a strange man sitting on the couch.

  His back was slightly hunched and he gave an unpleasant impression. He had well-defined features, but it was all buried under his wicked expression.

  Rashta clenched her fist and chose to take a deep breath. This man was both strange and familiar to her.

  “Rashta, my daughter.”