i never imagined my dad would speak so bluntly. the atmosphere around the place became cold, as if it had been poured by cold water.
the emperor, who had been biting his lip and at loss of words, only uttered a dispirited laugh.
âthatâs too much of a joke.â
âiâm not kidding. my daughter is the one who has been locked up and neglected by the emperor.â
only then did the emperor look at me with his eyes wide open.
âseeing that, i donât think iâm wrong.â
âi guess youâve locked someone up and raised her. i checked.â
he was being polite, but my dad was obviously being sarcastic to the emperor.
âi just looked at her because you said nonsense. i donât know such a child.â
âwhat do you mean you donât know? you really donât know her?â
âof course. i wouldnât lock anyone up. iâve never seen a kid like that before!â
my dad kept an eye on me at the emperorâs stern words.
dad, who had a happier smile, turned to the emperor again.
âso you donât object to having the child officially registered as my daughter.â
ââ¦iâm not sure about that, so laterâ¦â
âiâve already confirmed sheâs my biological child. i donât know why youâre refusing to do it when iâm her father.â
the emperor, who had been proud all day, waved his hands as if he was stopping my dad.
i was no longer afraid⦠because i have a dad.
âi think my dad is stronger!â
i clung more to my dadâs arms, and the emperor raised his voice again.
âiâm not denying.â
âif youâre not denying it, then what is it?â
âare you sure that the child is yours? didnât you say that there were children who came to the grand duchy and claimed that they were real? maybe thatâs the kind of kid she is.â
the words reminded me of something, and my dad took something out of his pockets from while hugging me.
it was the bead that was used several times last time to figure out who harris was.
âthis isâ¦â
âi borrowed it for a while.â
ââ¦grand duke.â
âyes.â
looking at my dadâs leisurely ending, the emperor sighed a deep breath, as if he was frustrated.
ânobody said they borrowed what they took without saying.â
âi see. if i returned it anyway, then i borrowed it.â
âhuh⦠taking things from the imperial family as you likeâ¦!â
âthereâs nothing to be so tight with the imperial family.â
the emperor laughed at my dad being more confident than ever.
âweâll settle the accounts for what you borrowed later. more than that, your majesty, you know what this is.â
âi know.â
âitâs a blood test, and this confirms that bebe is my daughter.â
âis that so?â
âso please stop rejecting it and allow me to formally raise my daughter and my wife. if you refuse to let me even show her face like this, you really want to tell my daughterâ¦â
âi see. can you do it?â
the emperor waved the bell beside me, thinking that he could not delay any longer. then the bell rang clearly, and a servant came closer.
after that, it was a breeze.
even the emperorâs consent was completed for me, and adelaide, my mother, was to be officially enlisted in the grand dukeâs family.
after receiving the documents, dad turned around his body as if all his work had been done.
âiâll be on my way now.â
âare we going to do it like this?â
âwell, itâs all over. then we will see you again in the near future, so please donât be sad, your majesty.â
âwhat is that⦠grand duke? grand duke!â
the emperor hurriedly called my dad with an incomprehensible expression and voice, but he left without any hesitation.
it wasnât enough, so my father ran to the carriage. the palace staff looked at us in surprise, but dad didnât even think of stopping⦠until we got to the carriage.
âletâs go.â
as if someone were following him, my dad talked in a hurry, and as if they were familiar with this situation, the grand dukeâs knights quickly climbed into the carriage.
at the same time, the carriage started to move.
âdad? whoâs following us?â
âyes, follow me.â
when i looked out the window after the carriage departed, i saw the servant next to the emperor following us in a hurry.
âoh⦠itâs true.â
âyes, iâm sure he had a lot to ask. heâs not the kind of person who wants to see it, so he mustâve been trying to catch us somehow.â
it was my dad who looked happy to see the servant waving in embarrassment.
the carriage left and headed back to the grand dukeâs mansion.
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