chapter 06
The Empress, Serna, looked at the father and daughter with an exceptionally warm gaze.
She understood.
“He’s holding her so carefully.”
She could see how carefully Ron was holding Isabel.
Watching the two of them felt as if the world itself had become full of abundance.
Then Serna noticed something.
“Your Majesty?”
Ron’s eyes were bloodshot.
Even Serna was quite startled.
She had been with Ron for twenty years, and yet she had only seen him shed tears twice.
“He doesn’t even realize there are tears in his eyes?”
Ron was simply staring endlessly at his daughter.
As if completely enchanted by something.
Serna carefully stood beside Ron and gently held his arm.
Since there were no outsiders present, she called the Emperor by his name.
“Ron, I remember your tears.”
When it was just the two of them, they could be husband and wife rather than Emperor and Empress.
“Once, when I thought Vice Captain Biaton had died but he returned alive. And another time when I accepted your proposal.”
Those were the two times the Emperor of the Sword Empire had shed tears.
“And now… this makes it three.”
Serna gently wiped the corner of Ron’s eye with her finger.
Only then did Ron regain his senses.
In truth, he hadn’t even realized he was crying.
He had simply been completely absorbed by the tiny being smiling brightly in his arms.
A voice echoed in his ears.
“Papa-mama is a gift from heaven.”
At that moment, the child felt like sunlight itself.
He didn’t know why, but tears had welled up in his eyes.
He suddenly felt embarrassed.
“Damn it.”
Of all things, he had been caught like this in front of his wife.
He always wanted to appear strong in front of Serna.
“It’s just something in my eye.”
Serna smiled softly.
She stood above Ron as easily as one who flies over him.
“I like you like this today.”
Ron flinched.
The only thing that made Ron happy was Serna’s praise.
“I think the heart that cherishes what is precious is the strongest heart of all.”
Ron could not meet Serna’s eyes and subtly turned his gaze away.
Isabel watched the scene peacefully.
“Hmm, I know when to step in and when to step out.”
She knew when to be present and when to disappear.
This was a moment to step out.
“I’ll just suck my pacifier and watch.”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
She could feel Ron’s heart pounding with her entire body.
“Is he going to explode at this rate?”
She was a little worried.
Still, she had no intention of interrupting their romance.
“Then you two enjoy your lovey-dovey time. I’ll take a quick nap.”
Isabel fell asleep in Ron’s arms.
Ron continued holding her for a long time afterward.
That night, before dawn
Ron headed to his office.
The image of the peacefully sleeping child kept resurfacing in his mind.
“This feeling is strange.”
Was it because she was a girl not born in House Bilotian? Or because she resembled Serna so much?
He felt confused.
“That child will not be able to learn the Bilotian swordsmanship.”
For the first time in 500 years, a “weak Bilotian” had been born.
Weak Bilotians are discarded.
They are devoured in succession struggles among siblings, and inevitably fall behind in external wars.
Then what about Isabel?
“Can someone who cannot learn swordsmanship still be called a Bilotian? My child? The heir? A royal?”
And—
“She will die at 21.”
Thud.
His chest hurt slightly.
“What meaningless and irrational thoughts are these?”
Fate was already decided.
Ron believed it was a waste to devote mental energy to what was already predetermined.
“My head is cluttered.”
In times like this, swinging a sword was best.
Not many people could withstand the Emperor’s blade.
“Your Majesty, how can you wake someone like this at this hour?”
“It’s sparring.”
“At dawn? I worked overtime today, you know!”
“Twenty years ago, you did this every day.”
It had been like that twenty years ago.
Biaton was known as a sword ghost assassin, and to maintain sharp combat instincts, he often held sparring sessions like this.
“I’m an assassin by trade, not you, Your Majesty! You’re supposed to be the righteous and noble Bilotian—augh!”
Ron swung his sword at the man lying on the bed.
A flash of steel.
The bed was split in two.
“Too talkative.”
“What kind of assassin makes this much noise during an attack?!”
Ron swung again.
“Gyaaah! You demon!”
Biaton quickly got up, opened the window, and jumped out.
From a sixth-floor room.
Time passed quickly
A year changed.
“Already three years old.”
So, two of the 21 years she had left were already gone.
It might not seem like much, but in percentage terms, nearly 10% of her life had already passed.
Still, it felt quite fulfilling.
“I should make the rest just as meaningful.”
As expected of Bilotian blood, her growth was extremely fast.
“In Korean terms, maybe like a five-year-old.”
She wasn’t sure, since she had never raised a child, but it felt about right.
Her pronunciation was still imperfect, but she could communicate with adults without much difficulty.
She could now walk and even run.
She still fell sometimes, but her body was strong enough that she rarely got injured.
After breakfast, her mother spoke.
“From today, Sir Biaton will begin teaching you. He is your first instructor, so be polite.”
It was apparently the start of her education as a princess.
“Sir Biaton? The assistant uncle?”
“He is no longer an assistant.”
It was unclear exactly what had happened.
Normally, the teacher of Bilotian princes was Lord Molliap.
He was a scholar from the Serjo family, one of the greatest literary houses.
And he had a 20-year exclusive contract with the Bilotian royal family.
Under normal circumstances, he should have been her teacher as well.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Why is Sir Biaton my teacher?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“Okay.”
She liked Sir Biaton.
He was a proper adult who knew how to handle children.
Time with him was always enjoyable.
He was also from a swordsmanship family that practiced magic, so he could use certain spells, and she especially liked his “flight magic.”
Knock knock.
A knock came.
It was Biaton.
“From today, I will be in charge of Princess Isabel’s education. I am Biaton.”
“Sir Biaton!”
She bowed while holding her skirt.
Biaton, as always, gave a bright smile, and she giggled.
Three-year-olds laughed easily at handsome faces rolling around in front of them.
Her mother also smiled gently at Biaton.
“Sir Biaton, please take good care of the princess.”
After her mother left, she asked:
“Why is Sir Biaton my teacher?”
“Are you displeased, Your Highness?”
“But wasn’t Lord Molliap supposed to be my teacher?”
“Ahh, I see! You like Lord Molliap more!”
Biaton suddenly made a devastated face and covered his face, pretending to cry.
His acting was so serious it was almost touching.
“Don’t cry.”
“If Your Highness pats me, I won’t cry.”
“Stop!”
She patted Biaton’s shoulder.
“Stop. I won’t cry anymore. Because Your Highness patted me, I don’t feel like crying anymore.”
“Good. Don’t cry.”
“If I cry, does it make you sad?”
“If it’s real crying, I feel sad.”
So fake crying wasn’t very sad.
“Hohoho. You are truly perceptive, Your Highness. Not many can see through my skilled acting.”
She placed her hands on her hips.
“Bad habit!”
“Pardon?”
“You use hard words on purpose. Bad Biaton.”
“T-that’s…”
“And if you do it again, I’ll call you a bad beetle.”
“A beetle?! That’s too harsh!”
He had deliberately used words like “perceptive,” “skilled,” and “discern.”
He was testing whether she understood them.
She smiled brightly.
“Sir Biaton. I won’t live long. So don’t test me like that. I don’t like it.”
“I’ll take the test properly. I’ll get 100 points. Let’s be happy together.”
Biaton looked as if he had been struck.
“Princess… do you understand death?”
His voice lowered slightly.
He looked toward the nanny.
“Who could possibly have…”
The atmosphere turned sharp.
The nanny’s face turned pale.
It seemed Biaton had already identified her as the culprit
