Chapter 1

Daughter of the Emperor Volume 1 Chapter 1

1. Hello, I’m Baby-End. Ariadna

I grasped consciousness sometime after I was born.

Yes, I know that that is quite a peculiar statement, but it really was sometime after I was born.

Before that it was like I had been in a dream, everything was covered in a deep haze yet I could recall just the end of that dream. A strange man stabbed me in the stomach. The truth of the matter is that a man who I have just met for the first time had killed me without even a struggle.

‘Ah! I feel like shit! Even if I had to die I died by cold-blooded murder!

”Wah, wah!”

A surge of annoyance momentarily caused my mouth to automatically open, but the sounds that came out were not words. I just simply wanted to say “annoying”.

‘What is this- this strange voice?’ But it didn’t take me long to figure it out. Once again, I foolishly recalled that I was a baby. It was a devastating feeling. As soon as I died, I had reincarnated.

“Oh my, when did our Princess wake up?”

‘That’s right. When did you come?’ As I felt the sensation of someone holding me, I yawned. To be honest, my vision had become so shitty that I couldn’t tell if it’s night or day. Of course, once I literally came to my senses, my vision had approved daily. ‘But seriously, when did I wake up? How could I not even know when I woke up… I guess kids are just those kinds of creatures.’ Even after sleeping all day I’m sleepy. ‘What is this unsatisfied feeling?’ Only after deeply sleeping and sleeping again do I feel refreshed.

‘Ah, I’m sleepy.’ But the good news is that because I’m just a kid, no one can scold me. ‘Eh, should I just go back to sleep? Since I thought about it, should I just go back to sleep?’ As I was closing my hard to open eyes, a fragrant aroma tickled my nose. ‘Ugh, to think this smell is too fragrant. It’s the end for me. I am without a doubt a Wah wah-ing baby.’

Slowly, I opened my eyes to confirm that it was exactly what I thought it was. It was Ma ma. The repulsive feeling of knowing it came out of a woman’s breast went away quickly. The hunger caused my body to automatically respond. The first time I couldn’t even open my eyes so I drank eagerly, but now I can open them! However, the situation had barely changed. ‘Yeah, I guess I have to eat. I mean, what else can I do? But to think this taste was so delicious.’ To fill my empty stomach, there was no need to contemplate, I eagerly sucked on what was between my lips. I don’t know how I got reincarnated, but it’s refreshing to experience an unmemorable baby life with a completely fine mind.

‘…Is that even possible? What the hell is this?’

“It’s OK, you don’t have to rush. Good.”

For some reason, I wondered about the gentle voice that was near my ear. I know that a baby must hear words as they grow to learn, but somehow, even though I am a baby that was born some time ago – I’m not supposed to understand human words. I can mysteriously translate the words that I hear.

‘Are these Korean words?  Eh, but there’s no way that possible.’

“Princess… our Princess.”

After eating, I was just lying in a saggy manner when the lady picked me up and rubbed my back. ‘She’s burping me… I would also like to do it as fast as possible, but with this uncontrollable body, how could I do what I want?’ This body may be mine but I have no control over it.

“Princess…”

‘Ah, really… Why are you calling me?’

Calling me with such a wretched, pathetic voice. If someone heard that voice, they would think I was practically on my death bed. When I heard that voice I felt like I was a dying patient. ‘Yes, I’m not dying and I’m here, Mrs. Nanny.’ The Nanny laughed at my body movement. ‘At least she’s laughing.’

This is just conversation I’m making, but at the word ‘Princess’, I thought my name was literally Princess or I was a precious child of a high class household. But to think that I really was a Princess.

‘Egh. Is this a reversal of a reversal?* Ah, if I wanted to complain about it then there is a really big reversal hidden somewhere else.’ Since I was born a Princess, I really wanted to be born in a very happy kingdom, but the truth is…

“…Majesty.”

‘Ah, I heard he was coming two days later, but I guess he already arrived. I was so surprised I grabbed the edge of my Nanny’s clothes. My Nanny was shocked to the point her face paled and her whole body was completely frozen in place. The burp that was coming out went back in. ‘Ah. That surprised me.’

“Your Majesty.”

So, like I said, I reincarnated. I don’t know the name of the body I reincarnated into, but I do know this body has a tremendous amount of status. There’s just one problem, the biological father is a bloodthirsty Emperor… Keitel Agrigent.

Keitel.

That is the name of the sleek and handsome young man that just opened the door with a bang.

“May you reach Evangelium.”

She bowed to down, at a terrifying speed might I add, to the point you could see the King’s feet – all while holding me. However, the King’s gleaming eyes didn’t even glance at her.

‘So this is the bastard!

The main character of all those stories I heard to the point that they’re practically nailed to my ears*.’ It’s the first time yet, strangely, I don’t feel like it’s the first time we met. ‘Is it because i heard about him so often?’

The atmosphere quickly turned cold and was filled with tension. I straightened my back- not that anyone could tell. Even though we just looked at each other at the same time, I felt my body shaking. He was glaring at a child, no- at his child, with an unbelievable amount of killing intent. Towards that fierce glare, I had to hold back my urge to cry. That crazy bastard would probably kill me for crying.

As if filled with blood, his scarlet eyes were especially red and his slightly disheveled silver hair was like freshly fallen snow, similar to a drawing of a sunset. His beauty could be praised to the heavens as not of this earth; a  heavenly creature. ‘Yes, this man…’

I know this feeling is not right towards a father I have never once seen, but I lifted my complaint filled face towards him. He is handsome to the point that he can make your skin shiver beauty. This man is the Emperor of the Argigent empire and my father. Not even 5 years had passed since he inherited the throne but he managed to swallow ten kingdoms and raise an empire. He is a tyrant called the ‘Mad Emperor’.

‘Ah. Oh, God…’

“….”

A heavy silence covered the room. With an unfathomable expression and cold empty eyes, he looked at me arrogantly. My throat dried up under this gaze. ‘Is this foreboding feeling what people called being under threat?’

“This child is my child?”

He spoke with a twist at the end of his lips and long eyebrows which covered his eyes.

Only then did the pressure that was weighing on me lifted.

‘Ha, that godly beauty doesn’t fit a crazy man like you.’

My cheeks automatically puffed up. Because there was a lot of fat on my cheeks it was quite noticeable. I guess it was interesting because, for a moment, he laughed.

“Ma- Majesty.”

“Majesty…”

I guess they were taken off guard because I can hear my flustered Nanny and some other guy’s voice. However, I wasn’t even given a chance to check out this new guy because at my neck- yes, at my neck, a huge hand reached out. I breathed in a series of short puffs. I just stared blankly into the eyes of the guy grabbing my neck. It’s true that when you look up at someone their downward gaze upon you is much more terrifying, but it wasn’t scary to the point you wanted to die. It just that-  It just that…

‘Ah, to think this bastard is my father. My newly started life is already 90 percent shit.’ I lamented inside my heart, shedding tears and sighing heavy sighs. *Sigh, sigh*

As a child, I could hear my small sighs. ‘I guess that bastard can hear it too.’ His gaze changed. I  guess the fact that even through he grabbed my neck with one hand, I barely made a response, which was fascinating. ‘No wonder…’ Even I find myself fascinated at my lack of response.

“…Majesty.”

Behind me, I heard a distressed voice. It was filled with so much distress that I felt sorry for her. Well, I guess that’s the normal response to this. I wondered why I felt so calm as I stared at the face of death.

‘Is it because I already experienced dying once?

No! Of course not!

It’s because as soon as I was born I had given up on life. Hah~ I mean, the rumors were overly inhuman and brutal. He’s a mass murderer. A crazy bastard who killed all the women he held.’ I guess he would not have felt be any different towards his own child. ‘Yeah, if you want to kill me then do so already.’ Those eyes weren’t the eyes of a father. ‘Ah, I feel aggrieved. I mean, I died and then I was reborn, but that guy is my father? I must have sold out my country in some previous life. If it not that then what is up with my life?’

“Ariadna.”

After holding my throat for a long time, Keitel muttered a single word. At that moment, the cold hand that grabbed my neck disappeared. At the sudden disappearance of that hand, I was caught off guard, so my head lightly shook – making him laugh.

“Let’s use that for a name.”

This was the first meeting between a mad tyrant and his only daughter.

==

A baby’s life is monotonous.

Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep.

‘Yup, That really is the end of my list of daily routines.’ So whether my dad came to see me or not, as a survivor, I have to be loyal to my daily needs. Therefore, I naturally just laid in my bassinet. My blankets were fluffy and a fragrant smell tickled the end of my nose.

Thumb Thumb.

Until the burp that went in came out, my nanny slowly smacked my back. She was smiling above me. Her face showed great relief as if a great burden had finally been lifted.

“Good job, our Princess. If you had cried your head would have flown off. You did well.”

I know that what everything you said is correct but can you blame me for feeling slightly offended? ‘Wow, is that something you can say to a baby?’ I feel mortified but I can’t express myself, and I don’t have any teeth. ‘…And I’m a baby! Wah Wah~!’

“Now, go to sleep.”

‘I hate you! Really hate! Really!’ I glanced upwards toward Cerera, my nanny who was only 23 years old, then closed my eyes.

‘Yup, since you say sleep, I’ll sleep.’

I don’t know if it’s because of the fact that I died at the age of 25, but no matter how many times I try to convince myself that she is my nanny, all I see is a girl younger then me. Seeing Keitel, who supposedly went to “clean up” the southern Kingdom, come back already, that kingdom must have been swiped clean long ago. Little me is too young to know the meaning of blood rain but my nanny told me that that was basically what he was doing.

“Are you not sleepy? Should I sing you a lullaby, Princess?”

‘All right, sing one.’

I nodded my head and closed my sleepy eyes. It was such a trivial thing, but my small movement made her laugh. ‘What is so good about such an insignificant movement that made Cerera laugh so happily?’ Her laughing face was so pretty. I heard she was forced to give up her own child to her parents to raise in order to come and take care of me. I’m surprised that she could laugh with such a delighted face despite that.

”Sleep well our baby, in the front yard and back mountain…”*

Hearing the familiar song that I must have heard back when I was a real baby, I closed my eyes. I don’t know if I’m sleepy but I figure I might as well sleep. At that thought, I felt depressed.

‘Ah…What should I do…I’m really turning into a baby.’ Sleep overcame me. At the same time, my thoughts and memories were being jumbled.

‘I’m practically dead.’

For the past week, “I’m going to be killed soon”, that’s all I heard about. ‘He is not going to let me live. Well, Something like that.’ If I wanted to mention it more meticulously, I guess it went more like, “Since he killed that girl this way and killed the other girl that way he’ll probably kill her (me)  another way.” This was practically all that they discussed. That and the fact that my mother was already dead. While she was in labor, the guy who is called my father was busy raising an army to sweep up all the southern kingdoms. In fact, since I brought it up, I might as well add in the fact that because I was called a princess I thought I was a daughter of some previous Queen, but no. Of course, my father would do something different. Up to now, in his 26 years, he has not even once made a woman his mistress, so forget Queen. In fact, the only reason I’m called a Princess in the first place is that I’m the only child that happened to survive.

‘I’m doomed.’

First of all, the fact that my father is such an indisputable piece of garbage is blatant proof that half my life is ruined already.

“Unexpectedly, the Emperor is leaving the Princess alone and even bestowed her a name.”

“Shhh, talking like that is bad.”

“Ah, that girl is here again.” I could practically hear in my sleep. Her voice makes me burrow my forehead in annoyance. She was my current educator in all the latest gossips and a servant who’s assigned to me. Elaine was a notorious gossip. Seriously, she is freaking noisy. This was not the first time her voice woke me up.

“The Princess will wake up.”

“‘Ehhh~ She’s sleeping so soundly.”

‘You have got to be kidding me! This is not the first time you woke me up!’ I really wanted to chew her out but realized that it was impossible since I was just a baby.  ‘Ah. This really depresses me.’

“Elaine!”

“All right! I’ll be quiet…”

The way she crumbled when the nanny yelled at her cheered me up. My heart became lighter. I went back to sleep with a peaceful expression. However, she couldn’t even endure that short period of time. Once again, she was spreading new stories here and there. As I listened with one ear I reminisced about the past.

The End of Chapter One

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Sleep well our baby ,in the front yard and back mountain’ is a common Korean lullaby

details are in

http://thedaughterinlaw.com/category/raising-a-korean-australian-baby/%EB%8F%99%EC%9A%94-nursery-songs/

T/N note: Reading the part about the baby’s nurses just standing around just debating how the Emperor going to kill the baby made my blood run cold. I know there nothing they can do but I felt it was really immoral to gossip about someone impending death.