I wanted to sign all the documents Ferdel gave me, but Serira’s words said me turn pale; I didn’t care about the papers anymore.

  Solay Palace, to which I moved, was lit up and busy, just like Foder Palace; people were scurrying. I was relieved that the owner of the palace had returned, but at the same time, I was anxious.

  ‘Dad, dad must be fine, right?’


  As I entered, the attendants urgently left their seats.

  Surprisingly, the man whom I met in front of the closed bedroom door was Dranste, whom I hadn’t seen in quite some time. I couldn’t get myself to smile at his smug face; I just stood there and bit my lip.

  I didn’t dare to see what was inside.

  “Aren’t you going in?”


  While I was hesitating at the door, Dranste asked.

  I wanted to greet him, but he was nonexistent for the others, so I didn’t speak. After glancing at the door, I placed my hand on Caitel’s bedroom door. No, more like I tried to open it; when my hand touched the door, it began to open by itself; my heart thumped loudly.

  Dad was lying on the bed, and doctors were working on him.

  I barely managed to swallow the cry; I struggled to walk over. Nothing came out of my mouth. Seeing my dad up close, I felt grief grew inside me.

  “Princess……”


  Although I pretended to be okay, Serira held my hand, noticing that my condition wasn’t good. Covering my mouth with my other hand, I looked at my dad. It was unfamiliar to see his body not budging from the place.

  I couldn’t believe that it really was my dad.

  He was breathing heavily as if his death was imminent. I asked.

  “How is he?”


  “Just calm down and listen……”


  “How is he!?”


  I was asked to calm down, but how could I do that!?

  I asked immediately. Knowing my dad’s condition was more important to me than anything else. I could feel my heart breaking. Just before coming over, I drank caffeine, but my body was breaking to its limit.

  The doctor responded with a calm expression even as I yelled at him.

  “The emergency treatment is done.”


  “So he will be alright?”


  “No. He hasn’t regained his consciousness yet.”


  What did that mean?

  The doctor sighed as I frowned.

  “He isn’t responding. If he wouldn’t awaken tonight, you’d need to prepare yourself……”


  “No.”


  My heart could never prepare for it. I could understand what he was saying. I rushed over to Caitel’s side.

  “Dad! Dad!”


  I thought he would open his eyes if I called for him, but no matter how much I screamed, Caitel’s eyes stayed close.

  No! He’s dying.

  I was supposed to let go of him.

  I couldn’t do that-

  “You shouldn’t die for me. Dad, dad.”


  He was supposed to wake up; the daughter he wanted to save was right beside him!

  “Dad……”


  I tried very hard not to cry, but I ended up bursting into tears.

  I closed my eyes, trying to stop my tears, which turned my vision blurry. I couldn’t stand anymore after losing the strength in my legs; I sat down. The doctor told me that it wasn’t good to touch the patient, but I didn’t listen to him. When my maids hesitated to console me, Dranste held me.

  “Calm down.”


  “You want me to calm down at this moment?”


  “Will the situation improve if you act like this?”


  In such a situation, that bastard said that I had to calm down; I would totally stab him if he were human.

  “It’s my dad.”


  I never knew what it was like to lose a parent. Even if I reincarnated, I always died first.

  I always died at a young age, alone without my parents. I hadn’t felt such a void over the years, but the pain of losing one was tearing me apart.

  “He is my dad……”


  I was a stupid daughter who always made fun of and teased her dad.

  However, I couldn’t just send him away.

  I couldn’t.

  It was too, too sudden.

  “I haven’t been filial yet; this is cruel.”


  Everything was a mess.

  It was so messy that I couldn’t even figure out where I was supposed to solve it. The doctors were doing something; when Dranste held my back, all I could see was Caitel.

  There were white bandages wrapped around his injured head.

  The same bandages were wrapped around his legs.

  The doctor said Caitel might have gone into shock because of blood loss, but I couldn’t make anything out.

  “Princess, go and rest.”


  “I want to stay here.”


  I cried so much that tears refused to come out.

  I was there, by my dad’s side, staring at his face. It seemed like Serira wanted to say something, but no one could say anything; it would break my stubborn decision.

  “Then, please sit here.”


  I wanted to stay standing, but my mouth didn’t open.

  I sat in the chair. I didn’t want the others to worry about me. Nevertheless, I was starting not to care about what my body felt. I was trapped.

  Besides, I cried a lot. It was expected of me not to feel anything more.

  When the situation turned like that, all my maids were forced to stay in the Solay Palace all night.

  “Serira, go and rest.”


  “But princess……”


  “I’ll call you if something happens, so go.”


  That didn’t seem to work on Serira; she was about to protest, but I couldn’t deal with another drama.

  “It’s an order.”


  That was the only way I could make mom do what I wanted.

  With that, Serira bowed and left the room. The chief maid remained with me, and the others managed to get some rest. I didn’t want my mom to stay up all night. That was my responsibility.

  The doctors left the room to exchange their opinions on dad’s state. It seemed like they were all waiting for the night.

  They must have gone out while I remained seated beside my dad.

  Never had I imagined that I would be in such a situation.

  Caitel laid down like that.

  My dad was as strong as a mountain; he never collapsed—a reliable person who would hold me at all times. I couldn’t imagine such a person disappearing from my life.

  “Dad, wake up, please. Don’t do this.”


  Coma. It didn’t suit him.

  I held Caitel’s neatly placed hand. They were as warm as ever, but only on that day, his hands seemed strange. However, it was his body’s warmth that comforted me.

  How did we end up like that?

  Huh? Dad.

  “Go and rest, okay?”


  As the dawn approached, our surroundings shushed; Dranste, who was leaning against the window, opened his lips. He noticed how messed up I was and said it. I was aware of his concern, but I didn’t want to take one step away from my dad.

  “Just because you are acting like that doesn’t mean it would help Caitel.”


  Did he have to put things that way? Bastard.

  I was angry, but I didn’t have the energy to say it out loud. I cried so much that I was feeling exhausted. I just nodded.

  “I know that.”


  “You know?”


  “But I can’t stretch myself in the situation.”


  Anxiety gripped my throat.

  This was the first time I felt something like this. My dad might die; what if I went to sleep in the room without knowing that my dad had died? What if my dad woke up but lost his rationality? What if my dad looked for me and did something horrible when he couldn’t see me? Nonsense worries took over my mind, tying me down to his bed.

  Of course, when such a situation came, the maids would let me know, but I couldn’t wait for the moment to come.

  “The tears won’t stop.”


  I heard Dranste’s words but didn’t care. I just held onto dad’s hand.

  “He knew that he would die. The building was collapsing.”


  Once I left the mansion, I saw it collapsing at lightning speed. I never thought someone would make it out alive.

  It was a miracle.

  “Who saved him?”


  “Don’t know.”


  As if he had nothing to do with it, Dranste shrugged, but I saw a subtle smile on his lips, and I knew.

  Right, that was it.

  Only Dranste could pull someone out of that mess. Even Assisi wouldn’t have been able to do that.

  “.…… thank you.”


  Dranste was shocked at it.

  “Thank you very much, Dranste.”


  “I didn’t do it for you, so you don’t need to thank me.”


  He was embarrassed.

  Still, I was very grateful. I was thankful beyond words.

  I looked at Caitel and expected all of this to just be a dream. I would rather hope for everything to be a dream.

  “Dad, can he wake up?”


  “If he can’t get up, then that is the end.”


  It was as if he didn’t care what happened—a heartless man.

  “And the sixth prince?”


  “Ran away.”


  I stopped.

  I didn’t even think he would flee.

  Seeing me shocked, Dranste laughed.

  “Don’t tell me that you thought he would die in that mansion?”


  It wasn’t like that. I didn’t think of anything.

  Well, the mansion was collapsing, so his escape made a lot more sense.

  Even as my dad laid lifeless on the bed, I didn’t hate the sixth prince, but I wasn’t happy or glad to know about his existence. Although I didn’t want him to die, I didn’t like the fact that the sixth prince was alive and well somewhere.

  “Would he do it again?”


  “Unlikely.”


  Dranste responded casually.

  “He has no reason to.”


  Tears started to flow, I wouldn’t cry, but it was tough to hold back when I lost control over my emotions. I felt sad.

  I thought I was done crying.

  “Crying again?”


  “I just feel bad.”


  I didn’t know why, but my heart hurt. I never knew I could feel like that, but I was. Like a bird trapped in a cage, I didn’t mind living like that if my dad would come back alive and well.

  I would do everything he asked.

  As I cried, Dranste sighed.

  Weeping, I turned towards Dranste.

  He walked over and reached out to me. His long and lean fingers stroked my eyes.

  “Right, cry.”


  Dranste looked at my tears.

  Sighing with his unreadable expression, Dranste continued.

  “Perhaps you’re the only one crying for Caitel.”