Chapter 96.2

“mom…”

every time i felt it, tears fell.

at that time… sylvie nodded his head as if he had been here.

“sylvie, wow.”

“…don’t cry.”

for some reason, sylvie, who was sleeping close to my mom, slowly woke up to my tears dripping down on his fur.

“don’t cry. your eyes are red.”

“it’s not true!”

after wiping my eyes quickly, i looked at sylvie. unlike yesterday when he acted like he was taking off his rubber band, sylvie had his hair tied like when i did.

“more than that, i thought you’d take off the rubber band.”

“…i-it’s more comfortable than i thought. anyway, why did you cry? who’s bothering you again? i think all your bullies need to be avenged.”

“huh? revenge?’

“it’s nothing. anyway, why are you crying?”

i bit my lips tightly and turned my head.

“i was just… worried about my mom. i’m afraid she may go wrong… i’m so worried.”

“did you say you’re going to the palace today?”

“you know me very well. did you hear that i was going to the imperial palace?”

for some reason, he pursed his lips to change the subject.

“it’s not a rumor. i just know everything about you anyway. are you worried about this woman?”

“mhmm…”

“more than yourself…?”

“yes, i’m more worried about my mom than myself.”

“ha…”

sylvie, who was listening to my story, sighed deeply and put his thick, soft paws on my mom’s head.

“i’ll protect her if you want.”

“what?”

“i want to go with you, but that’s not what you want.”

“are you really going to do that?”

at those words, sylvie nodded his head more proudly than ever before.

“oh, what do you think? i’m cool.”

“yes, you’re cool!”

of course, sylvie’s tied fur, which shook up and down every time he moved, looked cute, but i smiled brightly.

‘i don’t know if sylvie will change his mind and eat in a disgraceful way.’

“you like this.”

“huh?”

“no, so don’t worry and come back.”

i nodded at the remark.

“yes! sylvie is the best!”

even a thumb was lifted.

“sleep a little longer. it’s not morning yet, subordinate. children are supposed to sleep and eat well.”

then he dragged the quilt with his mouth and put it over my body.

“what? am i sleeping?”

“it’s still dawn.”

i couldn’t sleep, but i fell asleep anyway at the urging of sylvie.

eventually, it was after cecilia entered the room when i opened my eyes.

as if preparing for this day, there was an incredibly colorful, precious-looking dress and shoes in the room. cecilia sat by the bed, as if waiting for me to wake up and laughed.

“are you up?”

“cecilia…”

“yes? let’s get ready.”

“waa…”

slowly rising from my seat, cecilia held me in her arms and walked to the bathroom. that’s how preparations began.

the preparations, which started without a moment’s notice, were over in a short time. before i knew it, i arrived at the palace with my dad in a carriage while wearing a fancy dress i’d never worn before.

i didn’t know if it was because i woke up at dawn or if i was sleepy, but when i woke up, we were at the imperial palace.

“huh… we’re here?”

“yes, why?”

“a-already? why have we already arrived?”

my father smiled and patted my head as i showed him my pale face.

“are you worried?”

“uh… it’s fine, because i have dad to protect me, right?”

“yes, and now we’re going to have operation: kidnap the high priest.”

“what we’re going to do here is…”

“i will show you and announce that you are my daughter so that the emperor can stick his claws out on his own. we’re drawing attention so that they don’t know about the kidnapping of the high priest.”

i nodded very slowly.

“wow…”

“everything will be fine.”

meanwhile, the carriage slowed down.

what i saw through the window was a shining palace. some knights were in front of the carriage, and a well-mannered servant stood at the door of the carriage, arranging the hem of his clothes.

“your highness, may i open the door?”

in a polite voice, my dad first got up from his seat and reached out to me.

“shall we go? let’s end the past you’ve been through.”

“really?”

“yes!”

i held my dad’s large hand.

it was the palace that i thought would never come back… but i’m back here… with my dad.

there’s nothing to be afraid of. no, i was afraid, but i smiled widely. i promise i’ll overcome it.

“open the door.”

i got out of the carriage with my dad to meet the person who abused my mom and i in the past.