“But I’m a woman, aren’t I?”


  “It doesn’t matter. The important thing is how much you inherited his blood.”


  Blood? I tilted my head, and Dranste grabbed my hair.

  “Agrigent is just like any other country. The bloodline is what comes first. And the standard measure for that is the blood of a fairy, which is proven by the silver-red hair. More silver means you have more fairy’s blood in you, so your inheritance would come first.”


  “Then, aren’t we the same?”


  “Not at all. That’s because fairy’s blood isn’t that easy to inherit.”


  He kissed the end of my hair, and then Dranste bounced his finger on my forehead.

  Ouch, it hurts!

  “Among the twenty-eight children of Caitel’s father, Emperor Ivan, only three had silver-red hair.”


  “Wait, what? Twenty-eight?”


  I was shocked and frightened at the fact that just heard. What a surprise.

  What did I just hear? Twenty-eight?

  I looked up as if what I heard was true, and Dranste replied with a playful look.

  “There were sixteen princes and twelve princesses. Caitel was the 14th prince among all of them.”


  Fourteen princes, I didn’t know that! What’s up with that number?

  I opened my mouth wide.

  “Is, is that even possible?”


  “Well, the formal Emperor really got around. It was normal for him to go to bed with at least five women at a time. He had over forty mistresses in the palace alone.”


  “…so dad’s been modest.”


  So this was him being modest…


  I always thought dad was just a vulgar lowlife, but it turns out he’s been rather decent…Dranste smiled as I shook my head at a belated realization.

  Why is he smiling when I’m serious?

  “Anyway, you have Caitel’s blood in you and it’s very strong.”


  That should be a good thing, but why does it sound more like a prophecy that I’ll grow up to be mad later on?! Aah, no! I’m a kind person. I won’t become a lunatic like a dad. I don’t want to become an evil lunatic!

  Oh, no! No, my personality was gentle. I would never be like Abby, a crazy bitch in this area. I didn’t want to be that kind of thing.

  “But I don’t want to become the Emperor.”


  “Who said you’re going to become the Emperor?”


  Oh, he has a talent making people feel mad even when he says the same thing. I stared straight at Dranste. I would bite him off if given a chance.

  I would rush to him, but more than I thought, Dranste knew me too well.

  “Would you like some? It’s quite tasty.”


  “Are you giving me leftovers? are you treating me like a beggar?”


  “No, I’m giving you something you haven’t tried.”


  “Give it to me.”


  The sound of food softened further, and Dranste smiled.

  What I received was dried food that looked a little like dried fish jerky.

  Beef jerky? It was similar to the dried squid. It felt like I was chewing squid’s hind legs.

  “Delicious?”


  Seeing his smile of satisfaction as if he knew that I enjoyed it, I wanted to say no, but… Let’s put up with it. Bless is fore those who bore it.