Chapter 3

Chapter 3

This is why I didn’t want to see him. Carnon and I never got along.

I looked at Carnon, staring so fixedly one might say I’m rude. His face was quite younger than I remember, but he sure did hold a dignified aura about him befitting of an emperor.

“This is Princess Dorothea Millanair, Your Majesty.”

Nan insisted on pushing me forward and giving an introduction.

You didn’t need to do that, Nan.

“Was she not educated?”

Carnon didn’t give a single word in greeting but merely remarked in a displeased tone as he returned my sharp gaze.

“No, Your Majesty! Her Highness is very clever and special!”

“I wonder. All I see is a small, arrogant brat.”

“Th-that must be because she’s surprised meeting you for the first time, Your Majesty…”

Nan darted a glance my way, sweating hard.

Haah…

I breathed a sigh and knelt down.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

This is all for Nan’s sake.

Carnon eyed me coldly in response to my following etiquette.

“How old?”

“Si-si-si.”

“Six years old this year.”

I replied instead of Nan, feeling bad seeing her stammer.

Carnon’s gaze returned to me again.

“And just how is she special?”

“Nanny is just being overly coddling. There is nothing special to me, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty! As you can see, the princess is humble and is extremely intelligent compared to her peers. She has already memorized the entire family tree of the imperial line!”

Nan seemed quite determined, daring to sing praise about me in front of Carnon. I’m sure she’s just getting fired up to get me, the neglected princess, in the emperor’s good favor, but I didn’t feel the slightest gratitude.

Carnon narrowed his eyes.

“Really? Is it true you memorized Millanair’s family tree?”

No, is the answer I wanted to give, but that would no doubt result in Nan’s neck being lopped off for lying to the emperor. Still, she’s served me all this time. I can’t let that happen.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

So I had no choice but to keep exchanging words with Carnon.

“Show me, then.”

Arrogant Carnon.

I barely managed to stop my brow crinkling at his rudeness.

“I believe Your Majesty already knows the imperial family tree, though.”

Carnon’s face turned stiff at my defiant reply. That stiff face caused the rest of the present to tremble as if wintry winds were blowing across the garden…except for me and Carnon.

“Do you not know the ancestry of Millanair, perchance?”

“Are you testing me right now?”

“Seems to me you’re the one trying to test me, Your Majesty.”

My words struck astonishment into those present. Nan’s eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.

I knew a truth they didn’t, though. While Carnon may be indifferent to me, he isn’t so mad to the point of beheading his six-year-old daughter.

Tyrant was my title, not his.

Carnon was a monarch who was quite well respected in regards to politics, even if he wasn’t a good father.

“What benefit is there in me reciting the family tree here?”

My daring question wrought a short laugh of annoyance from the man.

“Are you questioning the emperor’s command?”

“I only wish to save what scarce time you have, Your Majesty. You are so busy that you did not come to see me a single time since my birth, are you not?”

Ah, I wasn’t resenting my ‘father’ whom I met for the first time in 6 years. I merely felt irked being commanded all of a sudden when he never gave me the time of day until now.

Carnon’s eyes shook slightly for a moment.

“You will only recite the family tree if it benefits you?”

He showed a sliver of interest in his gaze.

“I merely hope to not waste time for both myself and Your Majesty.”

“Your nanny spoke truly.”

Carnon looked askance at Nan for a moment before returning his gaze down to his knee-level where I was.

“Dorothea Millanair. Speak if there is anything you desire.”

Say what I want to have?

Carnon showed not a hint of a smile by his lips, but his words surprised me like a blow to the head.

I didn’t see that coming; I was sure he would call out my arrogance. As far as I remember, Carnon never talked to me like this before, yet it seemed he was feeling generous right now, like throwing a bone at a dog that’s performed a small trick.

Problem was…

‘There is…nothing I want for you, though.’

Maybe there would have been something if it was before my time regression, but right now I didn’t want anything of Carnon. I knew well that it’s meaningless to hold hopes.

But Carnon did not stand for the emperor’s sincerity being ignored; he gazed down at me fiercely.

“Answer me.”

Nan looked restless seeing his cutting gaze, but fortunately, I had long gained a tolerance for this sort of pain.

I forced the cogs in my head to turn, thinking hard for something to want for…then it came to me, something that was somewhat useful.

“I wish to have the finest wine brewed in my name.”

An idea that just so happened to cross my mind as I was feeling the need for a drink looking at Carnon’s face.

“What…?”

“I think I can drink it when I’m all grown up and it’s well-ripened.”

This much should be fine, seeing as I can’t make my own.

Good stuff, wine. Takes a long time to ferment, after all. I don’t know how the grape harvest will turn out this year, but with some effort surely I’ll have something decent to drink by the time I’m an adult.

Carnon turned to Nan with a stern look in his eyes.

“What did you teach this child?”

“I-I have never talked of alcohol before Her Highness, Your Majesty!”

She dropped to the ground, shaking in fear as she pleaded innocence.

“A six-year-old, asking for wine.”

His voice was murderous, intimidating. Yet I found it all preposterous seeing how he never cared for my education all this time.

“Nanny didn’t teach me.”

I spoke up to defend Nan from being wrongfully accused.

“If she did not, then who?”

“I read about in a book. That there are wines that take as long as decades to ripen.”

Truthfully I was quite the alcoholic, but I was too young for now to say that. Aside from that, I already knew much about the world of adults, but I thought it best to keep silent, for fear of Nan dying of a heart attack.

“Read about it in a book?”

He was asking too many questions, unlike usual. This might actually be the longest conversation I’ve ever held with him, both in my previous life and present life.

“A book called bavelua’s portrait”. It has a scene of Bavelua drinking vintage wine with a lover, describing how excellent the taste is. That’s why I felt curious about trying good wine.”

I calmly improvised in Nan’s defense. She did tend to exaggerate over things, which was wearying, but still, she was the only one that looked after me. I need her so I can have meals served, to have the book I want to be brought from the library, and…

“You read bavelua’s portrait?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He raised his brows in disbelief.

bavelua’s portrait was a story about a certain knight journeying together with the ruined noble Bavelua, describing the life of Bavelua in an observational style. It was considered among the best of its genre thanks to the excellent depiction of human suffering and the use of analogies.

It wasn’t that long and the writing itself wasn’t hard to read, so even a six-year-old…can’t read it I suppose.

Carnon’s eyes narrowed.

“…Very well. I shall have the finest wine brewed in your name, as you wish. So the imperial family tree. Go on and recite it.”

He also added an extra clause, gazing at me like a watchman.

“But. Get a single name wrong and your nanny will be punished for lying.”

Nan started shaking.

Threatening a mere six-year-old child to recite her ancestry?

I heaved a sigh inwardly.

Even as I nodded in acceptance to Carnon, I could not help but think that the tyrannical trait in me might have come from my father.

“Understood. I will start from the founding generation of Millanair, the direct descendants of the head family.”

Gotta save Nan since I’ve decided to live honestly.

***

“You were absolutely wonderful, princess!”

Nan showered me in praise even as she clutched at her quivering heart. Why? Because I called out every name in the imperial family tree without making a single mistake in front of Carnon. It took quite a long time going as far as reciting the collateral line as well, but he listened until the end.

Sure it was a one-sided test, but was there ever a time I conversed with Carnon for so long in private?

He was being strange.

“I’m sure His Majesty will turn his attention to you now, princess.”

“Nan, I don’t really want the emperor’s attention.”

I pouted on purpose like a child.

Meeting Carnon ruins my mood, a ruined mood makes it hard to be a good girl, and therefore I must not meet Carnon for goodness’ sake.

Based on my clean, logical conclusion, I desired to avoid Carnon. Nan, however, looked at me with incomprehension in her eyes, which teared up the next second as she hugged me tightly.

“Oh, you poor child…”

“…”

I remained still in her embrace, expressionless.

“Princess, His Majesty is your father.”

That was indeed that case, unfortunately. Carnon was my father, and I am his daughter.

“His Majesty will definitely come to like you, princess. He’s just too busy to look after you.”

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“Stop it, nan.”

That’s just what you want to believe. I know, better than anyone else, that holding such expectations is pointless.

So don’t give me false hope.

“I’m sleepy. Going to bed.”

She still looked intent on talking about Carnon, so I pushed her away.