Chapter 19

I placed my thumb and index finger beneath my chin and let out a long hum.

If you’re asking what he should do…

“You must never pick fights with Daddy again.”

“But no matter what I do, if that child keeps looking at me with hostility, it’s only natural that I would become angry…”

“You can’t do that!”

I narrowed my eyes into triangles and cut him off.

“Daddy said he had a really, really hard time living here.”

“…”

“Because no one was on Daddy’s side. Because no one listened to him.”

“That…”

“Because it felt like no one loved Daddy.”

And even Bertolt, the one person Harzen had trusted and relied on, was destined to betray him.

By killing the woman he loved most.

“I think a lot of that is Grandpa’s fault too.”

If he’d hugged Daddy even once.

If he’d looked him in the eye and listened to him even once, just like Daddy had done for me.

Then no matter how much Bertolt tried to drive a wedge between them, things probably wouldn’t have gotten this bad.

‘If he’d listened to Daddy, Bertolt’s schemes probably wouldn’t have worked in the first place.’

Emotion welled up inside me, and I bit my lip before continuing.

“So…”

I’m still not sure whether this is truly what Daddy wants.

Even so.

“I think this time Grandpa should keep asking Daddy for forgiveness.”

“…”

“Even if Daddy gets annoyed. Even if Daddy says he hates you. I think that’s the one thing Grandpa has to do.”

If he truly wanted to reconcile with Harzen, there was only one thing he could do.

Offer a sincere apology.

“I’m sorry. Thank you. Just keep saying those words.”

I met his gaze again and offered my heartfelt advice.

“Whether Daddy accepts it is up to him, though.”

“…”

“And even if Daddy doesn’t accept it, I hope you won’t hate him for it.”

Daddy’s childhood was already broken.

An apology now couldn’t bring those years back.

I simply hoped some of the resentment in his heart could finally be eased.

And if Daddy rejected even that…

‘Then it can’t be helped.’

That would only mean he’d been hurt that deeply.

“…I’ll try.”

The Emperor finally replied in a subdued voice.

Judging from his expression, he’d done a great deal of thinking.

“If someone had spoken to me the way you have, perhaps my relationship with that child wouldn’t have deteriorated this far.”

Then he let out a long sigh and pressed a hand against his temple.

“No one ever pointed out my mistakes. Not even the Empress… No, perhaps I simply refused to listen.”

His voice was filled with deep regret.

“What was it about this position that blinded my eyes and closed my ears?”

“…”

“In the end, it became poison.”

Was it really the position?

From where I’m sitting, this seems more like a certain son’s problem…

“Still, isn’t it fortunate that you managed to awaken me to it, even now?”

At last, he opened his eyes again and gently stroked my head.

He seemed to have grown used to it. This time, his touch felt surprisingly similar to my dads’.

I instinctively leaned into his hand and smiled.

‘Thank goodness.’

Part of me had been afraid I’d gone too far.

Thankfully, he’d taken it in the spirit I’d intended.

“Hehe.”

Head pats are the best.

“That said.”

Just then, the Emperor stopped stroking my hair and spoke.

“Where exactly did you learn all this? These are rather… weighty matters for a child to understand.”

“Huh?”

I stared at him with wide eyes.

I thought he was just going to let that slide!

“Uh, um.”

I gave him another goofy grin.

This was the perfect time for the universal answer.

“I read it in a book!”

“A book?”

“A book.”

Books are a treasure trove of knowledge.

Everyone should read books.

“You can already read books that difficult?”

The Emperor’s eyes widened even further.

Gasp. Was he suspicious?

I rolled my eyes around frantically while searching for my next excuse.

“You really do take after Harzen.”

He ruffled my hair again and smiled in satisfaction.

Following his lead, I laughed too and secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness Daddy’s a genius…

How much time passed like that?

“Regardless, you’ve given me valuable advice. I can’t simply let it pass without reward.”

Soon, he spoke in a dignified yet surprisingly gentle voice.

“I shall grant you a reward.”

A reward?

“Is there anything you want?”

“Something I want?”

“Indeed. Tell me whatever it is.”

The Emperor stroked my head once more.

I immediately started racking my brain.

What do I want?

When someone puts you on the spot like this, it’s even harder to think of anything!

“U-Umm…”

Eventually, I squeezed my eyes shut as though my thoughts were spinning in circles.

“Do I have to answer right now? Can’t I tell you later?”

I’ll really, really think hard about it.

“I can wait as long as necessary.”

This time, the Emperor patted my shoulder.

Phew, that’s a relief.

Daddy Kyle always says, “If you don’t answer within ten seconds, too bad!”

Anyway, it seemed Cecilia’s Father-Son Relationship Counseling Clinic had more or less wrapped up…

“Umm, then.”

I slowly scooted backward and hopped off the Emperor’s lap.

“I’ll go sit over there and think very hard about what I want as my reward.”

“Hm?”

At once, one of the Emperor’s eyebrows tilted.

He looked dissatisfied with my behavior.

But I had no intention of climbing back onto his lap.

Because…

“Grandpa needs to focus on work now too!”

You’ve been talking to me this whole time instead of working.

“And my butt hurts.”

I must’ve been more tense than I realized.

Though considering I’d been sitting on the Emperor’s lap, it would’ve been stranger not to be nervous.

Leaving the Emperor’s reaction behind, I scampered over to a chair in the corner of the office.

From now on, I would become a person who thinks.

A person who seriously thinks about what she wants.

‘What I really need right now is Daddy Kyle’s invisibility cloak.’

With that, I could secretly follow Bertolt around without anyone noticing.

Things seemed quiet for now, but once my dads arrived, who knew what he might try?

But asking Daddy Harzen to take away the invisibility cloak…

‘That would instantly destroy their father-son relationship.’

Though before that, I’d probably get bombarded with questions about why I needed it.

Anyway, that option was out.

‘Maybe there’d be a chance if Daddy Kyle reclaimed the cloak himself?’

I subtly shifted my gaze toward the scroll lingering at the edge of my vision.

The countdown kept steadily decreasing.

Looks like my dads were rushing here without stopping.

Ah, right.

“Grandpa.”

I immediately jumped to my feet and looked at the Emperor.

“I know what I want!”

“You do?”

At the same time, the Emperor slowly lowered the paper he was holding.

“You wish to acquire another father?”

“Ah! No, no.”

Having more than five dads would probably be a huge problem.

That’s not what I meant.

“You see, I actually came here without telling my dads.”

“That certainly seemed to be the case.”

“So my dads might be on their way to pick me up right now. Which means…”

I clasped both hands together and gave him the most innocent look I could manage.

“If my dads storm the imperial palace, please don’t throw them out.”

They might not be thinking clearly right now.

I have no idea what kind of outrageous things they might do.

But still!

“Pleease?”

Wouldn’t you let it slide just this once?