The pulse of excitent thrumd in my chest as I stood there, barely able to contain the overwhelming feeling of joy that surged through .
My papa was back. The Emperor was back.
Everything felt like it was falling into place, like the pieces of a puzzle finally aligning perfectly. It all clicked. Of course, Grandpa Gregor had asked if I rembered papa. He was testing . But now... now I understood why.
I could hardly wait to run to him, to throw myself into his arms and declare my joy to the heavens.
But then...sothing made stop.
My little brain went ding ding ding! I had an idea.
A brilliant idea.
A mischievous, wonderful, slightly evil idea.
Oh yes. I had to have so fun with this.
Hehehehe...
A sly grin curled at the corners of my lips as I let the mont draw out, letting the silence weigh heavily upon the room. It was as if everyone was holding their breath, just like I had been.
My papa, the Emperor, my terrifying, invincible father... he was back. And I was about to make him regret leaving behind.
I stood there, holding Grandpa Gregor’s cloak innocently, my face blank as I pretended not to know what was going on. As if I hadn’t recognized him the mont he stepped through the door. As if I wasn’t dying to throw my arms around him and say, "Papa, I missed you so much."
The silence stretched, just as planned.
And then, papa dismounted from his horse.
The tension in the air only thickened.
The ground seed to vibrate under my feet, like a storm was coming, the air electric with anticipation. And then, every single person bowed.
From little Osric to Grandpa Gregor, they all lowered their heads in deep respect, murmuring, "We greet, The Majesty, the Emperor of the Elarion Empire."
The entire space seed to move in perfect synchrony, like a well-rehearsed performance. Knees bent, heads lowered, hands held at their sides. The whole space moved like clockwork.
Everyone except .
anwhile, ?
I stayed standing, as innocent as a newborn lamb. No clue about anything, just standing there with wide, angelic eyes, like the most clueless little princess who had no idea what was happening.
I was playing my part perfectly.
Then, Papa’s voice, sharp and cold as steel, sliced through the silence, "Raise."
And everyone raised. Theon stepped forward, his gaze filled with reverence.
"Welco back, Your Majesty. I hope you had a safe journey." he said, his tone respectful but tinged with awe.
Papa nodded once, a simple gesture, but his gaze never wavered from . His eyes, as sharp and cold as ever, locked with mine.
A beat of silence.
A shiver of tension rolled through the air. It was like the entire world held its breath. I could feel it, the weight of the mont, building, building, building, as papa’s gaze grew colder, sharper...but warm for .
And then... he took a step forward.
And now my evil plan begins.
I pretended to flinch, like my heart skipped a beat.
With exaggerated drama, I darted behind Grandpa Gregor’s legs, peeking out from behind him with the most innocent, terrified expression I could muster. My big eyes were wide, my little face trembling as if I had just seen a monster.
And then, in the softest, most fragile voice I could manage, I peeped out, "Who aw you?"
Ba—boom.
Papa froze like a stone statue.
Everyone froze.
Ti itself stopped.
The knights behind him, even Grand Duke Regis, who had been standing tall and steady behind papa, they all froze. The birds in the sky stopped mid-flight. The air went completely still.
Papa’s expression was one of utter shock.
And then, nothing. Not a word. Not a movent. The silence stretched so thick it was almost palpable.
I blinked innocently, my heart racing with excitent.
Papa... the most powerful, ruthless Emperor... was speechless. Hehehehe...
How do you feel, papa? Do you regret leaving behind? Do you see now what you’ve been missing?
Hehehehe..... It’s fun.
The world around us—his entire world—froze.
And ? I was standing there, still the innocent little princess, with a smile tugging at the corners of my lips, trying desperately to hide the evil glee bubbling inside .
It was perfect.
But what I didn’t know was...my little evil plan would soon backfire on .
***
And now, here I was, sitting in the royal eting room, surrounded by everyone I could ever imagine in such a serious, intense setting.
Grandpa Gregor, Grand Duke Regis, even Osric—who was acting like a grown-up with his furrowed brow and serious little face—were all gathered here. Theon, standing behind papa, looked like he was about to implode from nervousness. Nanny and Marella were standing at a safe distance from the eting table, like they knew sothing terrible was coming my way.
And ? I’m sitting at the table—without a proper chair—like so re child who couldn’t be bothered to sit like royalty.
Excuse , am I not the princess here?! Can’t they spare a little respect and get a proper chair?
This was so embarrassing.
Papa’s cold, calculating gaze was fixed on , and his hands were folded in front of him like he was plotting so great military strategy...and I couldn’t help but shiver for real under the weight of his stare. Then, he spoke in that sharp, commanding tone of his, the one that could make anyone’s blood freeze.
"So... she never entered the nursery after I left for the western province?"
I almost choked on my own breath. His voice cut through the air like a thousand sharp daggers.
Theon, poor Theon, looking like he had already been sentenced to a life of endless awkwardness, nodded nervously. "Y-yes, Your Majesty."
Okay, I was about to be scolded, wasn’t I?
Should I run away?
But before I could react, Grandpa Gregor smiled and said, "The babies tend to forget people they don’t see for long periods, Your Majesty. It’s normal."
Papa’s voice was as cold as a blizzard. "That’s why I ordered everyone to put my pictures in her Nursery."
Okay...Papa, that’s a little excessive, don’t you think?
Grandpa Gregor chuckled awkwardly, trying to backpedal. "Yes, well... kids can get bored of one place too soon, Your Majesty."
Papa grunted, almost to himself. "Hah... I should’ve put my picture all over the palace."
Wait. WHAT? All over the palace?! Are you serious, papa?! Are you trying to haunt , or... or scare the maids?
But then... papa’s serious tone broke through again, and my stomach dropped. "Should we call a high priest or perhaps a mage to bring back her mory?"
At that point, I nearly fainted. A mage?! No, no, no. This was turning into a full-on crisis. I glanced nervously at the others, but Grand Duke Regis was already stepping in, his voice calm but steady.
"That won’t do anything, Your Majesty," he said. "It will only scare the princess."
I felt a sigh of relief... for a second, until papa’s gaze turned back to . His eyes narrowed, and with an expression that could freeze water, he leaned closer, scooping up with his giant hands. I couldn’t escape even if I tried.
"I am your father. Did you really forget ?"
Now, that cold, ruthless expression—it was no longer funny. It was terrifying.
I shivered, and for the first ti, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay with my papa all the ti anymore. I was regretting my evil plan to tease Papa. I hadn’t expected this turn of events.
Then, with a long, exasperated sigh, Papa looked at Nanny and asked, "Nerina, what should I do?"
Nanny, as always, was the voice of reason, bowing deeply. "You just need to keep the princess close to you, Your Majesty."
Papa blinked and looked at for a second, mumbling, "Close to ?"
Nanny nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Alright," he nodded seriously, like this was the most logical solution. He stood up, holding in his arms like I was a helpless doll, and with an air of finality, declared, "From now on, every second, my daughter will stay with . I will take care of her."
I blinked, my heart pounding in my chest.
Wait. Hold up. What?!
ARE YOU KIDDING , PAPA?!
I did NOT sign up for this. No more playing, no more fun, no more freedom? I love my papa, but...I can’t just be glued to his side 24/7!
I know I’m your precious daughter, but I’m also just two years old! I can’t stay by your side forever. I have things to do!
I need to play, eat, and explore— I can’t be your shadow every second of the day!
But...
I can’t even say anything now. After all, I’m the one who dug this hole and fell into it.
Sigh...
Why did I ever pretend to forget him?! This... this was a huge mistake.
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