Daughter of the Emperor

Time for dinner.

While a culture of independence was about to begin in Pretzia, a different atmosphere brewed in the Solay dining hall; it was a bit weird.

Not realizing the oddness, I tilted my head. I felt nervous; it felt like an interview-type dinner, yet there was no one else in the room except for Caitel.

Huh, no one had come yet?

However, I noticed the amount of food on the table, all prepared in advance.

It was a lot of food, considering it was just me and my dad having dinner. Besides, there were only two plates on the table.

“What is this? Are we the only ones having our meal?”

For some reason, I smiled brightly.

After a very long time, I get to eat comfortably!

As I sat down, my dad, who had come first, looked at me. He was leaning back onto his chair, with a stiff face and a painful expression.

However, I didn’t care about how he glared at me.

I knew that something more important would happen. He would…

Right, would I be able to get the freedom I had back after a while?

I got to eat all I could, yep. After all, food had to be eaten in a comfortable place.

As soon as I sat down, I began to eat the appetizers, dad didn’t seem to touch his food; he just kept looking at me. With a sharp gaze, I felt terrible every time I put the spoon in my mouth.

What? Did I do something wrong?

Did I do something without realizing it?

I couldn’t think of a reason…

Since my childhood, I couldn’t stand my dad’s dictator-like attitude, but my dad started to be gentle with me once I hit the age of ten. Well. I wasn’t sure what was bothering him, but even when the main dish came out, Caitel was still glaring at me. Was I cute today? That had to be it.

I didn’t usually believe that people could be killed with gazes, but sometimes, seeing my dad’s eyes was enough for me to understand what it actually meant. I sighed out loud.

‘Dad, let your daughter eat her food.’

“What is it? Why are you doing this?”

In the end, I couldn’t stand the atmosphere. I talked first.

“Dad, did I do something wrong? Why are you looking like that?”

His hand lowered from his chin, and he leaned his upper body into the table.

My posture hadn’t changed, but my gaze did.

What really happened?

Did I do something horribly wrong?

Maybe my doppelganger went over to him and did something terrible, all while pretending to be me. I was seriously thinking about fantasy-type excuses for his behavior, but after a while, Caitel spoke.

“Don’t take a single step outside the palace for the time being.”

“Huh?”

Absurd imprisonment, I couldn’t help but frown.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

‘Hey, dad, tell me you are joking!’

I frowned; I really wanted it to be a joke.

Suddenly, dad called for people.

He made his usual hand gesture, and a few people suddenly came pouring into the hall.

“When the princess returns to the palace, have the knights protect her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Huh?”

Now, I was beyond embarrassed.

Why was he suddenly acting like this? If I did something in the first place, I would have understood why my dad was doing something like this, but I couldn’t think of any reason behind this behavior!

What I saw annoyed me, but I held back. It was a fact I had come to accept in all the years I had spent living with my dad; if I got angry in the situation, the situation would worsen for me.

“Why are we suddenly doing this? What did I do wrong?”

Dad looked at me. I really began to think; his gaze was blank.

What the hell is he doing this for?

“No.”

“Huh? What do you mean? What no?”

“No matter who it is, you can’t get married.”

“… huh?”

WHAT?

Strange words.

Words that confused me. Marriage, me?

Seeing me stiffen, Caitel spoke with a little more force in his voice. No, dad, I was stiff because I did nothing wrong to deserve this and was too embarrassed at what you just said.

“You’re too close with the Emperor of Pretzia. Your dad will never allow that.”

“…”

Ah, stupid.

I touched the temples on my forehead.

This was all ridiculous; I felt like laughing out loud.

“It isn’t what dad imagines, okay?”

It was too early for me to think about marriage!

His opponent was Havel. I really didn’t know who made the rumors, but it was a bullshit rumor with no truth in it.

Somehow, I felt nervous.

It wasn’t even four hours since I felt something terrible would happen, and then this happened?

Uh, perhaps I was meant to be a prophet?

Whatever it was, I opened my mouth to get rid of the misunderstanding. Before I could even say anything, Caitel cut me off.

“Don’t bother speaking.”

“…”

I was sure that he didn’t trust my words anymore.

It made me doubt what kind of a daughter he thought of me as. Was I the kind of daughter he couldn’t even trust? How on earth did things turn out this way?

I thought about why he was so convinced with the rumors, but my dad was still stiff while he rubbed the rim of his glass. I was nervous because I thought he would break the glass.

“I have been thinking about it, and I feel that it is better for you not to meet them. I feel like wiping them out, whether it be Havel or someone else, but then Ferdel would run away without solving it.”

“R-right.”

And there would be war.

Of course, their effort would be for nothing, and hell would run amok in the world; fleeing felt like the right thing to do.

Even Ferdel would run away this time.

It was shocking that my dad knew, and I didn’t deny it either.

Caitel smiled.

“So this time, I decided to go for a more peaceful way.”

“And that is to…”

“Imprison you.”

What about my peace!? My basic human rights! My freedom being ignored! Right here and now!

It was as if a knife sliced me off; I burst out.

My dad, as time kept passing, started to cross the line with his own daughter. He was putting his own flesh and blood in confinement. What was the difference between prohibiting me from taking a single step outside my room and disallowing me from leaving the palace!

I began to think.

No, this couldn’t go on. Something must be done. There was nothing such as an impossibility!

Right, housework!

I had to work; I couldn’t just be locked up in the palace.

“No need to go over the Imperial Palace for work. I’ll send everything to you, so stay in your room.”

Before I could even say anything, dad cut me off. My very last hope had been removed, so I sat still and felt my cheeks burn.

This couldn’t be done! This was getting ridiculous!

“Support? Can I go out to support?”

“Nope.”

Ah, no, please.

As I felt his never-ending interruptions, I frowned.

I would understand if I was a toddler, but at my age? I was going crazy. I wanted to scream and walk out of the dinner hall, but I held back with my last remaining patience. I didn’t want to lose.

Phew, hold back. Be patient.

I was not a child anymore; I would be at a disadvantage if I let my temper get the best of me.

I couldn’t destroy this any further.

I shut up and stared at my dad.

I could see that Caitel enjoyed his power.

Uh, my dad. No, what kind of a dad would enjoy confining his daughter?

Ah, I needed to go back.

“Then, what about our dinner? Do I eat alone?”

Right! Would he really make his cute and lovely daughter eat alone? Caitel’s expression changed. His heart must have felt weak.

This was it!

I tried to pretend-cry, hoping it would work on my dad. However, my dad’s determination was sturdier than I expected.

“Eat alone.”

“…”

‘Ugh, reality really is a bitch.’