The Abandoned Empress Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Chapter 9

If this was really a dream, I could not know when I would wake up. So, I wanted to do all things I couldn’t do even for a short ti while I was dreaming.

I broke out in a cold sweat when I thought of seeing his face again.

How could I have a al with him when I showed my ugliness? I tried not to go anyway, but I eventually got up at Lina’s repeated persuasion.

“Co on in!”

My father was already waiting for . I sat down, still feeling awkward.

“I’m sorry for being late, daddy.”

Huh? Did he wince at ? As his motion was so small, I did not know if I had seen it well.

I tilted my head while moving my fork in silence. Why is he making such an expression? Is he displeased with behavior?

“You don’t look good. Are you okay, daddy?”

This ti his motion was rather big. Didn’t he really like the food?

“Oh, no.”

“You look uncomfortable. Are you really alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then, what’s the matter with you? If you tell , let tell them to correct it imdiately. ”

I asked him again why he was acting unnaturally today. He was silent for a long ti, with his face hardened, and then said finally, “Why don’t you call like you did before?”

“Pardon?”

“I an, why don’t you call like you did in the training field?”

Huh? Training field? What did I call you then?

“Daddy…” My face blushed. Oh My God. What did I do there?

I realized that I was doing sothing that I wouldn’t have even imagined normally.

Although I vowed that I would act freely as I wished, I was very embarrassed.

As I couldn’t see him face to face, I looked down. As if he felt the sa way, he cleared his throat several tis and said, “Yeah, that’s the thing.”

“… ”

“Call like that in the future.”

“Excuse ?”

“Hummm… let leave first as I have got sothing to do.”

I blankly stared at my father as he quickly left the dining room.

Does he an I have to call him daddy in the future? Oh, no way. I think I heard it wrong.

As soone who is notorious for being blunt, he wouldn’t want to do that.

When I stood up, shaking my head, I suddenly saw the attendant and maids looking at blankly. I was suspicious of their puzzled look. Wasn’t it that I heard wrong? Then, he wanted to call him daddy from now on?

I broke into laughter unconsciously. If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up because unlike the harsh reality I had lived in, I was happy in my dream.

I thought of my father, who tightened his grip on his hands holding in his arms, for fear that I had fallen. I also recalled his strong chest and fast heartbeat. The warmth of my father that I felt for the first ti soothed my tired mind.

If this mont could continue, if I could enjoy this happiness, I could sleep and die forever.

I prayed with all my strength that if this was a dream, I would never wake up.

***

“Good bye, daddy.”

As the Captain of the 2nd Knights, my father went to work every other day with Duke Lars, the Captain of the 1st Knights, unless sothing special happened. Every ti my father went to the imperial palace, I showed him the basic manners out of courtesy for him. The relationship between and my father was chilly.

But today it was different. When my father nodded, I often saw his face overlapped with when told he would co back soon to pick up. I grabbed his blue uniform with my trembling hands. I was afraid he would suddenly disappear. If I let go of his hands now, I felt like I would wake up from a cozy dream and be thrown into a cold reality.

“What’s wrong with you, Tia? Do you have anything to say to ? ”

“Oh no, daddy.”

“Well, are you sick?”

“No, daddy.”

“Then, what’s the matter with you? You look so different today. ”

He extended his hand to touch my forehead. When I t his deep blue eyes filled with anxiety, I felt as if the anxiety weighing on seed to go away a bit.

I knew that doing as I wished was different from troubling sobody. So, I felt that I should not trouble my father anymore. I was still scared, but I released my grip on his uniform and said reluctantly, “It’s nothing special. Please take care, daddy. ”

“Hmm.”

I smiled as brightly as possible, but my father frowned. There was a mont of silence.

When I was about to tell him I was okay, he held out his big hands and said, “You want to go with ?”

“Pardon? To the palace? ”

“Yes.”

“Can I?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Thank you, Dad!”

I brightly smiled at his unexpected response, and clung to his arms.

I heard sobody murmuring behind my back. Looking back, I saw the knights staring at my father and sharply.

Why were they staring at us like that?

Tilting my head, I t a middle aged knight’s eyes. I also smiled unconsciously when he smiled at . Then, their whispering beca louder. What the hell were they doing?

Their long whispering stopped only after my father ordered them to leave.

I was puzzled, watching them going back to their place as if nothing happened. Was it because of ? Because I acted differently today? If that’s the case, it’s too realistic for a dream.

Then, am I in the real world now? Was the long and painful pain of mine just a nightmare?

I headed for the palace with such doubt.

***

“Let’s get down, sweetheart.”

“Yes, dad.”

Get out of the carriage, I looked around. The sunlit white building shone golden, and the thick green trees cast shadows over those who hid there from the hot sun. There were servants and maids walking briskly, officials talking to each other holding a handful of paperwork, and knights trading places with each other, dressed in fancy uniforms. All these were the sa familiar images that I had in my past mories when I entered the palace cautiously.

I could see a magnificent palace towering over lots of buildings. Unusually large, it was the Central Palace, the center of the imperial palace as well as the residence of the emperor. When I was looking at the white building, I was troubled by anxiety again. I didn’t know if it was a dream or a reality, but all kinds of miserable mories ca to my mind.

I felt as if the emperor appeared before right away and sneered at , so I grabbed my father’s sleeves with my trembling hands. My father’s face hardened when he looked at strangely.

“What’s wrong with you, Tia? Are you sick?”

“Ah… ”

“I can’t stand it anymore. Let take you to the royal doctor.”

Without giving any ti to respond, he moved quickly. I put my arm around my father’s neck and leaned on his shoulder. It felt like the warmth I felt from his broad chest whispered to that I would be okay, so I could feel relieved. Only then did my trembling subside. My anxiety subsided little by little.

“Your Majesty?”

“Captain?”

I ca to my senses when I heard them exchanging greetings with each other.

Where am I now?

When I turned and looked around carefully, the knights in indigo uniforms were standing stiffly nearby. They were looking at my father in surprise. In fact, they were staring at in his arms.

Oh My God! I whispered small, hiding my blushing face.

“Please put down, daddy.”

“We’re almost there. So, hang on a minute.”

“No, I still don’t like it. Please put down, Dad. ”

“No way.”

I asked him to put down several tis, but he was very determined. Although I was ashad when they were looking at , I gave up and buried my face in his shoulder rather than asking again. I was speechless when I t his blue eyes.

“I’m honored to see you, Captain!”

“Welco, sir.”

“Well, nice job, man.”

When I turned my head slightly, I saw a couple of knights bowing to my father.

I stiffened at their burdenso look.

Why are they making such expressions? It looks like they are looking at their puppies!

“Well Captain.”

“What’s up?”

“Can I hold her? You look tired…”

“No, sir. I can do it because this guy is very tired because of heavy training today…”

“No thanks, guys. Just go back to your work.”

I saw lots of wistfulness in their eyes when my father rejected their request.

After rejecting them out of hand, my father began to walk again.