“Anyway, things have changed since back then, this is exactly the age for you to be announcing a royal heir, and now a son with royal blood just happens to show up.”


  “What’s so different now? I don’t care if he’s my son or not. I don’t need a son.”


  “Then you just plan to kill everyone like before, Your Majesty?”


  Dad shuts his mouth to Ferdel’s words.

  Hey, I thought you two were going to watch you say now.

  The two confront each other. Caitel still looked fierce, but on the other hand, Ferdel seemed to have cooled down.

  Ferdel is suddenly being so serious. It doesn’t suit him. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him like this. Well, I guess that’s how serious it is.

  “It might have worked back then, but that’s not the case now. We haven’t finished stabilizing the territories we’ve expanded into from the last war. More importantly, we sacrificed too much in order to defeat Pretzia. In other words, we’re not in a state to start another war without proper preparation. Besides, have you forgotten that we’ve signed a peace treaty with Andurus?”


  Now he’s a little scary. Caitel didn’t say anything, but he seemed to feel similar to me. He doesn’t respond to that but making an impression. I’m sure he doesn’t have anything to say.

  “If we disregard that for no clear reason, we’ll most likely have to deal with the empire from the North. Their princess is no longer our hostage. That child is both a royal heir to Agrigent as well as to Andurus. How did things get so complicated?! What should I do? Good grief! Blast it all!”


  And, there’s our Ferdel. I was a fool for thinking you were cool even for a second.

  Not knowing that I am frustrated with myself, who is possessed by a moment of fantasy, Ferdel rips his hair. I wanted to rip it with him.

  “Ugh, whatever. Just do whatever you want. I give up, I don’t care.”


  Ferdel gets up from his seat. He looked angry or gave up, but my father’s face was not as peaceful as he was.

  “Get out.”


  “I was planning to go anyway!”


  “Get lost.”


  Anyway, they have to fight once a day.

  I don’t know. I just stood up to go back to my room, but somehow my dad grabs me. You know, Assisi went out with Ferdel. I was wondering why Assisi also went out too, but I felt a little bit weird to leave behind with dad…


  Have I done something wrong before I knew it?

  “Don’t worry.”


  “Huh?”


  I’m nervous about getting in trouble, but I’m relieved by the sudden voice. What is it? I looked at him in a daze and he looked at me. Caitel’s eyes on me were quite soft.

  Why are you doing this?

  For a moment, my father’s hand pat my head with a short sigh. And the low voice that sits in my ear.

  “You are my only child.”