“Ata-a-”


  Just as I was dressed up for the party, Caitel was dressed up for his birthday too. A coat he usually never wore, a badge, and a uniform were simply perfect and flawless. Well, he’d always been perfect for his looks.

  ‘Why are you staring at me like that?’


  I guess he felt strange looking at me dressed up.

  ‘However, Dad, your eyes are making me a little uncomfortable. Will you be considerate me and stop staring?’


  However, the reaction from Caitel must have excited Serira. Serira did what she would never do.

  “Isn’t the princess so pretty today?”


  Caitel’s eyes go straight to Serira. I was a little nervous. There were some unwritten rules in this palace, although it wasn’t necessarily a law-set issue, one of them was one should never ask Caitel first.

  ‘Ugh, Mom, why did you do that!’


  Daddy, killing my nanny on his birthday wouldn’t happen, did it? Right? Could I trust you?

  Maybe my faith worked, Caitel turned to me again without saying anything. I grabbed him by the collar and smiled.

  ‘Oh, nice daddy. How nice.’


  “She is pretty.”


  Oh, really?

  I was a little dazed by his praise because I didn’t expect to hear it.

  Really? Not like I looked like a monster or something, but I looked pretty? Really?!

  “I’ll see you later, then.”


  “Yes, Your Majesty.”


  What’s going on with him?

  I was a little thrilled. It was my father’s birthday, so I guess he was normal after a while.

  Here’s your toast! Sob, sob. I was so happy. I had lived to see this day.

  Caitel entered the connecting bridge, which led directly to the palace of Lunare. At the same time, Dranste, who popped out of nowhere, pretended to know me.

  “Hello, my princess.”


  ‘What’s he saying? Get out of here.’


  “Oh, you are so mean.”


  The attendants in the back were briefly agitated, but that was all. As if it was familiar, they avoided my gaze and kept on their job.

  Why! Look at that! Why was nobody asking questions! It’s weird. He’s weird!

  In the meantime, I held my hand on Caitel’s shoulder. I glared at Dranste, and at the same time, the eyes of Caitel directed our way.

  “Take your hand……”


  “Okay, okay! I will not get close to her!”


  Perhaps because he had suffered before, Dranste’s actions were swift and quick.

  Why did he touch me when he would run away like this?

  I didn’t understand him at all. I clicked my tongue. He smiled a little when he saw me. It was a very dry smile, a sort of habit.

  “It’s already your birthday. Time flies.”


  “You didn’t even come last year and you talk a lot.”


  Still, it was fun to listen to the conversations between the two. It seemed like Dranste was getting scolded by Caitel, but it was a little different when I was listening to their conversation. Caitel’s tone was different than usual. There’s something looser, something more……….

  Yes, something felt sharper.

  “Don’t you feel happy? Why is your face so-”


  Dranste was Dransthe, but my dad’s my dad, too. I still didn’t understand my dad, Caitel. Dranste laughed. His smile seemed cooler than usual.

  “But it’s your birthday. Be a little more pleased.”


  Kaitel glanced at Dranste, of course, his steps were not at all slowed down. However, the look was a little different. I could see the face of Caitel, which somehow seemed to have been torn down.

  “Birthday……”


  The tone of the word birthday was bitter, and it felt a little strange.

  I looked up at him. The hard-to-speak feeling weighed down on my chest. I wasn’t the type to wait so long for my birthday. However, I was happy enough when it was my birthday. Of course, it’s the day I was born. Everyone blessed me. So……

  Now Caitel was different. Having had his birthday, he was neither happy nor having fun. That was what it revealed

  “Well.”
……

  Lonesome.

  At the moment something was emotional inside me. Something got stuck in my throat.

  What’s this feeling?

  It was a bit embarrassingly intense, it was.

  I’m used to that empty look. Smiling but also not smiling, the empty smile was now somewhat used to it.

  However, I don’t know what this feeling was. What was it called?

  “Would I ever be blessed to be born?”


  Under the still-sinking voice, I quietly clasped his collar in my hand and looked up carefully. His eyes were still cool. It’s sad.

  “If you consider the life I’ve killed with this hands and the weight of the country and blood I’ve shed, no one in this palace will be able to celebrate.”


  “Tsk tsk.”


  I could hear a ‘tsk’ sound behind me, but I could not reproach my father with any words. He was saying the right thing.

  Right, who could celebrate his birthday among all the people who were here? Some of them must have trampled on their country, others who had lost their parents.

  Caitel was never a beloved Emperor. Who would celebrate the birth of a tyrant? He was right. Therefore, I felt even sadder.

  “Even I am cursing today, who are truly celebrating? Isn’t that right, my daughter?”


  Kaitel laughed. The sour smile was a little pitiful today.

  I pouted my mouth.

  I couldn’t hate this bad guy, the bastard, even if I tried to hate him.

  Even though I hated him like this, he made me fold my mind up. It’s been setup since I recognized him as my father. What could I do? He’s my dad.

  However, I can celebrate my own birthday.

  I’m sorry for him who couldn’t and felt pity for him. At the same time, I felt sad. I left this guy as my dad.

  At that moment, the gate of Lunare Palace opened.

  The gate was directly connected to the imperial palace, so it was a hall where it arrived as soon as it was opened. It seemed like the party had just begun, and the faces I had never seen before looked up in surprise.

  Caitel broke into the position without any agitation, as always, expressionless. That’s when the real party begins.

  “Welcome to all of you who have gathered together for my birthday. Let’s all drink and enjoy today’s party.”


  I could see a lot of people bowing their heads at that word.

  I frowned my face.

  I had a headache.

  There was a sudden sense of rejection of the unfamiliar place. I’d rather be stuck somewhere. Maybe he felt me struggling in his arms, Caitel looked down at me with an expressionless look.

  ‘Daddy, I’m afraid your daughter is going to die. Let go of me.’


  Whether the prayer worked or not, Caitel puts me on the throne.

  Oh, I felt good sitting on the king’s chair, but could I sit here? Is that right?

  “Sit quietly.”


  Smiling little, he walked away. Fortunately, the throne was inside, so I could breathe.

  Oh, I hated the party.

  I didn’t know, but there were a lot of people. Like, a lot.

  It was more than what I had I thought, and in the number of people, I realized how big my father’s empire was. Caitel seemed to be greeted only by those who had quite a bit of power, but that number was still quite large. In the meantime, Ferdel was busy enjoying socializing.

  The more I saw him, the more amazing he was.

  “Uh.”


  I wanted to go home now, really. However, I remembered Serira’s words that I have to stay for at least an hour.

  It’s screwed. The world was rotten. Why was this chair so hard?

  I was not comfortable in a dress, and I was uncomfortable in a chair too. Was Caitel always sitting on a chair like this?

  ‘My father, is your butt okay?’


  I’d die of hip pain.

  The seat was so uncomfortable, I wiggled my body and my clothes slipped. The body flowed under the chair.

  Oh, I’m not in a chair, but under it.

  Huh? No! My chair!

  What’s wrong with this filthy chair that’s slipping because there’s no cushion?

  My dad told me to sit quietly. When I looked up, the chair was too high.

  I was so screwed.

  I reached out and grab the chair and gave strength to the leg.

  I had to go up! I had to go up!

  “Oh.”


  “Oh my!”


  “Huh?”


  All of a sudden, there was a small burst of exclamations everywhere. Did they get something to see?

  I tried to get up to the chair somehow. I would go up to the chair and see what they were watching. However, why couldn’t I even stand up?

  No, we had to go up. I had to go up!

  “Princess!”


  “Oh, my God!”


  “You stopped!”


  What’s wrong with them?

  Holding the chair, I was about to lean up, and people’s eyes quickly turned on me.

  Huh? What did I do?

  I think I did something, but I didn’t know. What’s this reaction? I was just gathering my lips in embarrassment, but I was a little scared because of my familiar sharp gaze.

  I turned head, and there was Caitel. He had a somewhat unusual look on his face. A little surprised?

  However, what surprised you? What, daddy.

  Did I borrow money from you without my knowledge? I didn’t borrow anything.

  “Papa!”


  I didn’t know.

  I was his lovely daughter, and I didn’t know what’s going on, but he was not going to kill me. Would he? I called him with my arms wide open.

  Come on, come and hug me. Turn that eyes around.

  However, I was a fool. Normally, I sat down and opened my arms, but now I was standing. Holding the chair.

  When I let go of the chair I was leaning on, my body tilts back.

  Oh, my God!

  My body’s going over! Dad, come and do something!