Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“I understand. But if you change your mind, let me know anytime.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

Jaina bowed her head in reply.

“By the way, weren’t you startled by what happened at the auction house last time?”

“I was fine since Hilvenzia was there.”

“Hilvenzia Lotien… I can hardly trust that woman. Be careful, she might have ulterior motives. She’s a cunning person.”

Jaina furrowed her delicate brows as she answered.

“I should be wary of any human. But Hilvenzia has helped me a lot so far. I don’t think she would harm me. If my trust in her turns out to be misplaced, then I’ll have to accept it.”

“Despite inheriting his blood… you don’t resemble Diamid or Mikael at all.”

Princess Elia smiled.

Although she held a negative view of Hilvenzia, she was pleased to see the girl before her trying to defend her companion in any way.

At the same time, her attempt to persuade without offending Elia’s sentiments seemed beyond her age. It was a demeanor unseen from Mikael and Rosian.

‘The little lady surpasses me.’

She was hailed as the heroine who saved the world, supposedly perfect with no flaws.

But even she had weaknesses.

‘Dealing with people is always a difficult task.’

She disliked overt approaches from those trying to gain her favor, so the initially quiet and unassuming atmosphere had been slightly disconcerting.

But that soon shifted to a comfortable feeling.

‘They may be equally young, but she’s completely different from Rosian or Mikael.’

Her nephew, Mikael Bellafanian, showed no sympathy for the weak, merely looking down on them with disdain.

-Aunt? Are you proud of being old? Don’t look down on me just because of your age, idiot!

Elia recalled the shock she felt upon reuniting with her nephew after several years.

A genius who had mastered magic without a teacher.

At her sister’s request to ‘take a look’ at the overconfident child who feared nothing in the world, Elia had made time for him.

-Swordsmen are all uneducated brutes who rely only on strength, do you think you can handle someone who wields magic like me? If the sister can beat me, I won’t nag you anymore!

With reddened eyes, Mikael had charged at her like a feral young beast.

So Elia taught him the hierarchy, as if he were an animal.

-Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.

-Hiiik! Spa-spare me. Hic. Ack.

Not long after grasping Mikael’s ankle with one hand over the cliff’s edge, looking down at the deep ravine below, Mikael had cried himself into unconsciousness.

While onlookers were aghast at her excessive measures, it was the only way to correct his unruly behavior. After that, Mikael treated her with utmost docility whenever she visited.

-Oh, you’re here, Aunt…

Elia suspected Mikael had gone through a similar process with his uncle Diamid as well, given his meek demeanor before him.

‘I thought it ended with Mikael.’

Unfortunately, there was another child who vexed Elia’s heart.

Seeing how she had treated his cousin, Rosian proceeded to torment Elia in his own way.

-Mother, why must I learn the sword? This is not to insult you, but swords seem like tools to harm others…

When the sword-training-averse Rosian voiced such concerns, Elia gave him some time.

She thought it wouldn’t be bad for him to ponder his future and how to contribute to the nation as the Crown Prince.

However…

-Yay, I hit it!

The child who had feared harming others was now shooting bugs with a pellet gun the next day.

-Maybe I’ll go bird hunting next time?

-That might be difficult.

When the apprehended Rosian was brought before her, Elia admonished him.

-You were born a Crown Prince, so you must take responsibility befitting your privileges. As my son, I taught you the sword, but if your heart isn’t in it, find another way to repay this country.

-Mother, may I speak frankly?

Rosian batted his pretty eyes innocently with a sweet smile.

-I just want to laze around and enjoy life! I dislike studying or working, Mother!

That day, Rosian received the punishment of being hung upside-down from a tree.

-Uwaaah!

She was well aware it was an excessive measure. Ideally, one should guide them to the right path through dialogue.

But Rosian was the Crown Prince. He had to be treated differently from other children, so she steeled her heart and meted out the punishment. And yet…

-Your Highness, I heard you were hung from a tree? Oh my, are you alright?

-I’m fine. Since I cried yesterday, she won’t bother me for a while, right?

-Oh dear.

-Being hung upside-down made me feel like I was growing taller? Hahaha. I’ll find a way to meet Lady Lily one way or another, so don’t worry.

It was strange, indeed.

Frankly speaking, her son Rosian was a fool.

-So you’re quite skilled at etiquette when it comes to meeting the ladies. Then go ahead and secure a political marriage for yourself while you’re at it.

-But Mother, I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to settle down with just one woman! Since being a philanderer is bad, should I just not date anyone at all? What if I cause a war with another country because of me if I marry one of their princesses!

Mikael had no answer.

And Rosian was even more unanswerable.

* * *

Jaina, curious about Rosian whom she hadn’t seen in a while, asked Elia about him.

“That child has been busy with his training.”

Jaina tilted her head at Elia’s reply.

‘Training? Didn’t he dread swordsmanship until recently?’

Princess Elia took a sip of hot tea as she glanced at the demi-human escort knight standing behind Jaina.

‘I should keep the escort knight matter a secret.’

It could potentially harm Rosian, who was diligently training in swordsmanship to protect Jaina.

‘Speaking of which, how do I create a bond…’

Princess Elia quietly observed Jaina.

The daughter of Bezrice, and the child who had changed her son. Elia was quite taken with her. She wanted to maintain their current connection somehow.

But human relationships were so fragile, taut one moment and easily severed the next.

Mikael would be fine as her blood-related cousin, but Rosian was no different from a stranger.

‘So I should make a bond that cannot be easily broken.’

Princess Elia’s eyes glinted secretly as she watched Jaina.

* * *

Waiting for Jaina upon her return to the Magic Tower was Diamid, with a face as stern as a fortress wall.

Little did she expect to encounter such a person on her way back after enjoying a pleasant tea time…

‘I don’t know his business, but I should avoid him.’

Jaina moved as cautiously as possible to avoid meeting Diamid.

Unfortunately, however, it seemed his purpose involved her.

Diamid blocked Jaina’s path and abruptly spoke.

“I hear you received a necklace with your mother’s portrait from Princess Elia as a gift?”

It seemed Izren had reported the fact about the necklace to Diamid.

“That’s correct.”

When Jaina gave a simple affirmative, Diamid stared piercingly at her.

‘Why is he suddenly asking about the necklace?’

It was suspicious for someone who normally showed zero interest in her to suddenly approach and mention the necklace.

Although feigning nonchalance, Jaina couldn’t shake her ominous feeling.

“…”

After maintaining silence for a while, he rose from his seat and gestured for her to follow.

The place Jaina followed Diamid to was the reception room.

Having made prior arrangements, a hot tea set and snacks were prepared on the table in the reception room.

Unable to discern Diamid’s intentions, Jaina grew even more tense. He tended to react sensitively to even the slightest matter related to Bezrice.

“Listen.”

Jaina looked down at the teacup placed before her. Wisps of steam rose from the cup.

“…Thank you.”

Jaina silently drank the tea. Instead of sipping slowly, she blew on it until it cooled somewhat, then drank it in one gulp.

Unknown to Jaina, it was the exact same habit Bezrice had.

After silently observing this, Diamid opened his mouth softly.

“Hand over the necklace Princess Elia gave you.”

It was a sudden demand.

Jaina hesitated, unable to readily hand over the necklace.

It was the only memento left of her mother.

“Why do you want to take it?”

“That is none of your concern.”

“It’s my mother’s memento. You’re trying to take my possession without even explaining the reason.”

Was he trying to dispose of anything related to Bezrice due to his hatred for her?

Jaina bit her lip.

She knew it would be wiser to simply hand it over. She knew, yet in this moment, she wanted to act not with reason, but as her heart dictated.

“No. This has nothing to do with you, Tower Lord.”

In the end, Jaina chose to refuse, even at the risk of danger.

Handing over the necklace to him felt like denying her own existence.