Chapter 2

Daughter of the Emperor Volume 1 Chapter 2

Daughter of the Emperor

Not only was Keitel a beauty among beauties, but he was also the most powerful man with the highest status. So, it goes without saying that countless women were aiming for him. Of course, behind each and every woman was the shadow of a powerful political party.

‘Well, I guess even if the guy is a crazy bastard, an Emperor is an Emperor after all.

It’s good to be King, I guess.

I mean, what can you not do if you want to claw your way up and win the right to stand by his side?

Obviously taking off your clothes and waiting to jump him naked in his bedroom is par for course. Seducing him like a common whore? No problem! There is nothing too low these ladies wouldn’t stoop down to come out on top!’

Therefore, several of these women got knocked up, but alas! No one was actually able to give birth to a child. Getting pregnant was a piece of cake but becoming a mother was a different matter.

Everyone who tried to use their belly against him ended tragically. After thinking about this, I scrunched up my face.

‘Ah, You crazy bastard!’

I guess this bastard had always been the type of guy who lacked affection even towards his own flesh and blood. So when a woman tried to use his child against him as blackmail, instead of giving in to her demands… Well, their ending was so pitiful I couldn’t even bring myself to say it. I honestly couldn’t imagine how he could do all those things until I met the actual guy. ‘Yup, that bastard can definitively do all those things. In fact, that guy can probably do even worse things.’

“Sleep well.”

“Shhh, she will wake up”

“Tsk!”

Yeah, so since he was that kind of bastard, everyone was surprised when I was born. It was a real wonder since even I was surprised that I was able to be born too.

When I opened my eyes after napping, the ceiling light shone into my eyes. I heard that a baby’s vision isn’t developed fully, but I still wondered at this girl’s complete obliviousness towards a baby’s discomfort. I mean, there’s not much difference in being noisy and shining a light directly at my face, you know?

“Did you wake up again?”

Nanny smiled despite the fact that the first thing I did after waking up was whine. Seriously, Cerera was such a pretty lady – according to my standards, of course. Unfortunately, this country had a much higher standard toward’s beauty than me.

“But she really is so cute.”

I saw a cute round face. Elaine shoved her face out from the side.

‘That face belongs to the motor mouth!’

Since I could recognize her just by hearing her voice I wasn’t happy to see her at all.

‘I hate you.’

“Ahhh… You’re so cute.”

‘Can you move that hand?!’

Seeing my face scrunched up in displeasure, Nanny slapped her hand away from my face.

Elaine shriveled up and removed her hand.

“Princess hates only me.”

That’s because you are so noisy! I wanted to answer her but my mouth could only make gagging sounds. I couldn’t even talk. ‘Ah. Being a baby is so uncomfortable. I wish I can get some teeth soon so that I could at least say simple words.’ I prayed earnestly for that day to arrive as soon as possible.

“She’s still so pretty. I envy her.”

“She takes after her father completely.”

“That’s true. Who knew that she would inherit his hair color as well?”

Elaine’s face peeked at me from behind Nanny’s back. I want to push that face away, but since that would make her cry I decided to leave her alone for now. *Snort* ‘This is all because I have a very large heart. Okay.’

“Ahhh… So cute.”

“Don’t be impolite to the Princess.”

“She’s only a baby.”

Nanny furrowed her eyebrows at Elaine’s laughter.

‘If I have to be honest, I like the compliments on my looks…I mean she saying I’m “cute’. I’m “pretty”. I dislike gossip, but I like compliments.’ After smiling cheerfully at her, Elaine smiled back.

‘Yes, yes thanks to your gossip I found out my dad was crazy, so I will forgive all that chattering you made so far.’ However, I still scrunched up my face when she tried to touch my cheek.

Suddenly, the door opened and a bunch of people came in.

‘HUH?’

Since I was lying down, my vision was narrow, so I assumed that numerous people just came in. I could only imagine how shocked Nanny and Elaine were since they could see everything clearly. They just stood there completely frozen. Of course, Nanny immediately picked me up but seeing both of their pale faces did not feel good.

‘What is it?

Oh, Did my crazy father give a royal order for execution?’

“What is going on?”

Cerera’s voice was seriously sharp and frightening. However, her voice was soon covered up by a screeching noise. I tried to turn my head around to see who came in.

‘If it’s a screeching noise is it the sound of metal? Is it someone wearing armor?

Wah!’

Since my head was buried in my nanny’s chest I couldn’t see who came in with my own eyes.

“It is his Majesty’s command.”

“Command?”

‘Ah. I was just born and now my life is already over…’ While I was mourned for myself uselessly, I heard the knight’s voice clearly with my own ears.

“His Majesty wishes Princess Aridana to stay in the Soleil Palace.”

Soleil Palace was, simply speaking, the Emperor’s palace. If you wish for more details, it’s where the Emperor’s bedroom, private study, and all his personal suites are. It’s also where all the major political decisions are made. This was the palace where people moved the country.

Soleil was too enormous to be considered a simple palace but was rather a little town. It was that important and astounding. It seemed to mean something for me to move there.

“I guess the Emperor has finally decided to accept the princess.”

Elaine said something serious. I just peered at her with a slit gaze while wrapped up in clothes and a blanket. Her face that had always seemed lighthearted was now dispirited. Even if she was a notorious gossip she was only an 18-year-old girl. I guess even she was scared of that crazy bastard. I personally found this fact fascinating. I also pitied her since she was seriously frightened.

“Shh, Don’t say anything thoughtlessly anymore. This is not the previous palace, Ethelon.”

“Yes…”

I closed my eyes once again as Elaine’s voice trailed off. Ethelon was the name of the palace I was previously staying in. I don’t know what the purpose of that palace was, but I do know one thing. That palace was shoved into the comer and looked pathetic. Also, that’s where my mother lived.

“Princess Zerina was so pitiful.”

“Didn’t I say not to talk carelessly?”

Elaine bit her lips at Cerera’s sharp rebuke. I could tell that she felt Cerera’s steely gaze upon her so, after observing her discomfort, I grabbed my nurse’s hair. Cerera looked down. Her blue eyes that gazed into my own were quite refreshing to see.

“It’s going to be fine. Don’t be afraid.”

‘When did I say I was scared?’ I just gazed at her with the eyes of a dead fish and bit on my lips, but the nurse just laughed sorrowfully. I thought this before, but seriously, Cerera had such a melancholic air about her. No matter what she did it was an always sorrowful, heart-rending and there was always something tragic about her in the air. ‘That’s some skill you have there.’

“His Majesty would never do something as terrible as kill you. Yes, surely…”

‘No, if he does kill me, that’s not just being crazy. That’s being a son of a bitch. To kill off a baby… What kind of crazy fuck-

Ah. I just remembered hearing something similar in the past when he went to sweep up this one kingdom in the north killing every man, woman, and child…He just cornered them and burn them all up together.

So, he is a son of a bitch. Just your everyday, regular piece of shit.

……..My life is already ruined.’

“It is not that room.”

“Huh? It’s not this room?”

We were chased away from the room our group found ourselves naturally in by a knight to a different room. I could hear from their voices that both of them were surprised. I don’t know exactly what going on, but I can figure out that instead of the room I was supposed to be in the crazy fucker was going to toss me in a different room.

‘Look, I don’t even care about the room, I want to go to my crib. I want to rest!’

“Sleepy?”

“Uuugh.”

“Oh no! She seems tired.”

She seemed taken aback by my whining. I could feel her discomfort all the way over here. Everyone awkwardly hurried back and forth in my hazy vision.

‘Ah. My eyes hurt.

Were a baby’s eyes always this delicate?’ I could feel that my eyes were already tired out. I decided to close my eyes for now and feel the movement of my body. It was comfortable in my nurse’s embrace after all.

As I grow up, she wouldn’t be able to hold me like this anymore. In my previous life, I’m sure my mom must have held me like this when I was young. The fact that I couldn’t remember it made me just a bit sad.

“Now, Princess we are here.”

When I barely opened my eyes, Cerera was smiling. Since the feeling on my back is new this must be a new bassinet. I began to whine.

‘No, not this one. Not this one. The old one!’

“Princess, this is a better one. It’s much bigger.”

‘The previous one was more comfortable!’

“Tsk, Tsk. No. This one is way more comfortable. See, if I do this, it feels better right?”

Nanny’s hands are magic hands. After she did something with her hands I really did feel more comfortable like she said. ‘Wow. how mysterious!’ She laughed as my mouth drop opened. Seeing her colored cheeks made me smile back.

“How adorable.”

The hand that touched my forehead felt warm. This must be called the warmth of a family because it put me right back to sleep.

‘I’m sleepy. Sleep just keeps pouring over me…

I don’t remember what dream I was having, but it felt like I was floating on clouds.’ Only that sensation remained.

‘Yes, if I walked on clouds it would be this feeling.’ Fluffy and like cotton candy. ‘Fluffy, fluffy…’ The fluffy feeling induced a flossy feeling, making my body move here and there.

‘It tickles.’ I giggled unintentionally.

Then suddenly, the room’s atmosphere became heavy.

‘Ugh…’

The feeling of something on my chest. ‘It’s heavy.’ It was hard to breathe. I opened my heavy eyes whining.

Once my eyes were free from darkness. I caught two eyes looking down at me. We gazed at each other at the same time.

‘-Kk! It freaked me out.’

I almost cried out. Even I could see my chest going up and down roughly. Rolling my big eyes, I could see it was sometime in the night.

‘Why wasn’t he sleeping at night? What’s the point of coming here?’

I looked at him, piqued. We stared into each other eyes. Our vision entangled with each other.

I pondered. ‘Is that what people call crimson?’

The deep color messed up my vision and his fierce glare cornered me, making me feel even more anxious.

‘Is it killing intent or a friendly gesture? I can’t tell from his eyes. I guess he couldn’t tell how I felt by my eyes too.’ He laughed as if air was escaping. It was a pretty empty looking smile.

“I felt this earlier…”

As I just laid there in my crib, his cool hand touched my cheek. Rather, it was cold, not cool. It felt like it was covered in dry ice.

“You don’t cry.”

Just one sentence.

I guess he felt it was odd that I never cry.

Well, it’s no wonder, even I find it odd I don’t cry. ‘Well, I do want to cry like other babies. In fact, the urge is there, the problem is the fact he will mercilessly cut my head off if I do.’

I didn’t even entertain the thought that he would cut my head because I was noisy. I just figured he was simply crazy and I didn’t want to do anything that would trigger him.

“The Princess is very mild-mannered.”

‘Ah. Nanny is here. I thought you were gone.’

I moved my head towards the sound of her voice. I could see that she was standing while clasping both hands. Her pale face was even paler than usual. She kept fidgeting.

She was afraid that the Emperor would finish me off, so she didn’t know what to do.

Just because she let out her voice, Keitel turned his head and stared at her. It looks incredibly burdensome.

‘No. it was a pretty heavy burden on me too.’

The good news was seeing Cerera trying not to breathe under his glance made him lose all interest in her. He once again turned toward me.

“Still…”

His cold finger caressed my cheek. To be honest, it felt creepy as hell.

His hand eventually made its way to my neck.

‘Did this guy have some shady hobby I didn’t know about?

Why does he keep touching my neck?’

“She must have felt the killing intent towards her.”

‘Yup. I definitely felt that.’

I want to nod my head in agreement, but the hand on my neck was so cold, I couldn’t.

‘Ah. If he does kill me, I will probably be choked to death with those hands.’

He laughed, like a cross between a sigh and a lament. I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t exactly laughter, but closer to a sneer.

“This daughter sure is defenseless.”

‘I’m your blood daughter you moron. Don’t call me as if you were talking about someone else’s daughter.’

He lifted my chin towards him. His looming body shadowed me. This wasn’t the brightest of rooms, but since he covered the light the whole world look dark. With his luminous red eyes, it was pretty horrifying.

“Unfortunately, she doesn’t take after her mother.”

‘Do you even remember how my mother looks like?’

I looked at him with dead eyes and suddenly, for no reason, he laughed. He didn’t just laugh, but he laughed like a man who’s gone mad. Even his head was tilted backward while laughing.

‘Mom, there’s a crazy fucker here!’

I tried to suppress my desire to call 911 and just looked up at him.

He placed his hand on my forehead.

“-curse…”

‘Curse?’ I widened my eyes.

“That’s pretty good.”

‘Did this guy eat something bad? Why is he talking nonsense all of a sudden?’

“I look forward to what kind of curse you will bring me.”

Even his lips on my forehead were cold. In that instant, I saw something flicker in those red eyes.

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T/N

I also found him incredibly creepy   T_T