Chapter 8

Nadia, who had opened her mouth as if in disbelief, composed her expression when Michael didn’t avoid her gaze.

“So, you’re saying you’ll take full responsibility.”

“Yes.”

“This is ridiculous.”

Michael, unfazed, moved on to the next topic as if to say she could think whatever she wanted.

“How is your research coming along, Aunt?”

“It’s the same as always. But I’ve come up with a clever solution. Want to see it?”

“If it can be done before my dinner plans, then sure.”

“You must have a dinner appointment with your dear daughter, I suppose?”

Nadia grabbed her staff and stood up.

“Follow me. It won’t take long.”

Meanwhile, Kanis was sprawled on a sofa with her arms crossed, wearing a sullen expression.

She had tried crossing her legs but failed about six times before giving up and lying flat.

Her eyes were closed, but it was obvious she wasn’t sleeping.

She just didn’t want anyone to talk to her.

“Her motivation was already in the negatives, but did someone dry Kanna out on a rack twice while I wasn’t looking?”

Jehel asked, glancing at the servants, who shook their heads with troubled expressions.

“Well, she’s been down all day, but after she went to see His Highness Michael and came back, she’s been like this…”

“What did His Highness say? That she shouldn’t bother him while he’s working?”

Though it wasn’t her business, Jehel’s eyes gleamed as if she was ready to storm off and throw a punch.

“No, that wasn’t it…”

“I almost lost my job just now.”

Jehel sighed and leaned toward Kanis, resting her hands on her knees.

“Kanna.”

“What?”

“Are you in a good mood right now?”

“Do I look like I’m in a good mood?”

“…This is bad.”

A servant cautiously suggested to Jehel, 

“She seems especially uncomfortable with us talking to her. Perhaps we should just let her rest for today?”

“Of course, I’d like to do that. But life isn’t that simple.”

“Pardon?”

“His Majesty has summoned her. To a dinner, no less. The servants from the Emperor’s Palace are already waiting downstairs.”

Jehel’s bombshell announcement turned the servants’ faces pale.

Pointing at Kanis, Jehel calmly said to them, 

“For now… shall we try brushing her hair while she’s lying down?”

Fortunately, though Kanis had been listening to everything from earlier with a deeply annoyed expression, she begrudgingly sat up, sparing the servants the ordeal of brushing her hair while she lay down.

Jehel clasped her hands together incredulously.

“…You’ll go?”

Kanis, with a look of disbelief, let out a hollow laugh before eventually nodding.

After changing into proper attire, Kanis was immediately seated in a chair by Jehel.

Her head bobbed this way and that as her hair was brushed, prompting her to grumble.

“You know, you should realize this—overreacting to a mere dinner invitation makes your Emperor look bad.”

“Kanna, ‘your Emperor’?!”

“Then what is he?”

“‘Our’ Emperor of course!”

“Getting a title wrong isn’t the end of the world.”

“What exactly constitutes a big deal in your book, Kanna?”

Jehel muttered to herself, then suddenly leaned in close to Kanis as if something had just occurred to her.

“Just to check, Kanna.”

Kanis, her cheeks puffed out in a sulky expression, looked up at Jehel with narrowed eyes.

“You… know how to use honorifics, right?”

The desperation in her voice was palpable, and even the bustling servants paused to turn their attention to her.

Kanis cleared her throat unnecessarily before replying.

“…What, do you think I’m an idiot?”

Though she answered confidently, Kanis felt a bit uneasy.

When she’d run away from the Mage Tower recently, she had used honorifics with an innkeeper. But beyond that, it had been so long since she’d last used them.

Once you become the strongest individual on the continent, you rarely find yourself in situations where you need to argue with others.

Besides, Kanis was also the oldest.

Which meant her age was equivalent to being the ancestor of most common citizens.

Her ageless appearance added to the intimidation factor, ensuring no one dared to challenge Kanis Riventi.

Of course, all of that had become irrelevant now that she was a child.

Kanis caught sight of herself in a mirror and couldn’t believe her eyes.

At some point, Jehel had styled her hair into a 2:8 parting.

“I don’t mean you’re an idiot… It’s just that you’ve spent your whole life in the Mage Tower. You probably haven’t had many conversations with people. And this is a unique situation.”

Kanis tore her gaze from the mirror and looked at Jehel.

She was serious.

Behind her, the servants were smiling at Kanis, but when their eyes met hers, they quickly adjusted their expressions.

After doing this to my hair, they were now like this…?

“So, no matter what His Majesty says, remember that you’ve done nothing wrong. Got it?”

Jehel held Kanis’s hands firmly, her gaze unwavering.

The other servants chimed in as if they’d been waiting for this moment.

“That’s right. Honorifics aren’t that important.”

“You can learn them one step at a time.”

“It’s okay, Kanna.”

Having missed the chance to complain about her hair, Kanis let out a deep sigh.

She had assumed all six-year-olds spoke like this nowadays, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

Since arriving at the Imperial Palace, Michael hadn’t been the only one who never frowned at anything she said or did.

These people had been doing their best to accommodate “Kanna.” How kind of them.

Even though “Kanna” didn’t exist, nor was she actually a six-year-old child.

She didn’t dislike people who treated children sincerely.

In fact, she was weak against such people.

To the point where she couldn’t easily bring herself to express gratitude.

Kanis stood up.

“Let’s just go.”

“Kanna, wait for us!”

“I-I’ll accompany you to the transport!”

Jehel and the servants followed Kanis like a tail.

Kanis raised her hand instinctively to touch her 2:8-parted hair but ultimately left it as it was.

She smirked faintly as she opened the door.

***

When they arrived at the Emperor’s Palace and were about to be announced, Jehel knelt with a solemn expression.

“Kanna. If you can’t think of the proper honorifics, just add ‘yo’ to the end of your sentences. That’s my nephew’s foolproof method.”

(T/N: In Korean, adding “요” (yo) at the end of a sentence makes it polite speech. Korean has different speech levels based on formality and respect, and using “요” helps ensure you’re speaking politely to people who are older, of higher status, or not very close to you.)

“I got it.”

“And one more thing I’ve been debating… His Majesty isn’t His Highness Michael’s father.”

Kanis wasn’t particularly surprised.

“Yeah, I know he’s his grandfather.”

“About twenty years ago, Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess and her consort—”

“You are to enter immediately.”

The royal guard at the door cut Jehel off.

Realizing this wasn’t a conversation for the hallway, Jehel smiled at Kanis and stood up.

The doors opened before them, and Kanis stepped forward without hesitation.

But the royal guard blocked Jehel from following her.

“Only Kanna is allowed to enter.”

“What? But…”

As Jehel hesitated, looking between the guard and Kanis, she spoke nonchalantly.

“What if I say I won’t go in alone?”

Kanis stood calmly, waiting.

As expected, an attendant quickly approached from inside.

At his signal, the guard stepped aside for Jehel.

Jehel, looking tense, stood beside Kanis.

Kanis was already familiar with the Emperor’s temperament.

Having lost his children and grown older, he had become increasingly stubborn.

What affection could he possibly feel for Kanna, who had appeared out of nowhere?

Especially since she was the child of Kanis Riventi.

Once someone begins to dislike you, everything you do only makes them dislike you more.

Kanis didn’t care whether the Emperor liked her or not, but it was amusing to see Jehel trembling.

Well, making an effort wouldn’t hurt.

Though she wasn’t sure how long her patience would last.

Kanis entered with Jehel.

The curtains were tightly drawn, and the reddish glow of the candlesticks cast shadows on the Emperor’s face.

He looked even older than the last time she’d seen him.

“Why are you staring so intently? Didn’t anyone teach you how to greet properly?”

And why doesn’t he greet people himself?

Regardless, Kanis bowed her head.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

After finishing her words, Kanis immediately sat in the chair opposite the Emperor, anticipating he might scold her for not sitting.

The Emperor’s face twisted in displeasure.

“Who told you to sit?”

Without waiting for an answer, the Emperor let out a bitter laugh.

“Well, what else would I expect from the Mage Tower Master’s child? Like mother, like daughter.”

Kanis glanced at Jehel.

Jehel looked at her with the most pitiful, sorrowful expression in the world.

Kanis decided to let it slide this time.