I glanced at the mirror and shook my head with a look of contempt.

These chubby cheeks alone disqualify me.

“If those traitors decide to rebel, I’m finished.”

“In a child’s body, assassination will be easier for them to accomplish.”

“Plus, the empire’s international standing will decline.”

As I listed each problem, fear gradually washed over me.

“This is absurd. How could this happen after everything I’ve done to build this empire?”

Even during Father’s time, Arsis was a powerful nation, but it wasn’t one that commanded universal respect.

The current stability and glory were all created during my eight years on the throne.

“I’d rather die than see it all crumble.”

I ground my teeth.

“No, there’s no way I’m going to die.”

I had survived the inhuman torment from my siblings.

So I would definitely survive this and return to my adult form. To do that, I first needed to find out why I had become like this.

But how?

I racked my brain.

To investigate anything in my current situation, I needed freedom to move around. But if anyone recognized me, it would be over.

Moreover, my current appearance was unmistakably identical to “Emperor Estria.”

So I needed a way to reasonably hide my identity or explain my existence…

Wait a minute.

I suddenly turned my head to stare at Rigan. Surprised by my sudden attention, his eyes widened.

“What is it, Your Majesty?”

“What did you say when you came in earlier?”

“Who are you referring to?”

“The part after that.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Before that!”

“Oh, our Emperor’s daughter…”

“Yes! That’s it!”

I felt like I’d found the answer.

“I can just say I’m… my own daughter!”

The reason I resembled “Emperor Estria” could be explained by our blood relation.

It wouldn’t make sense for a relative to look this identical, and I had killed all my siblings.

So the only option was to become a daughter.

“You really are a genius after all.”

However, Rigan looked at me like my idea was completely absurd.

“Your Majesty, your child would be related to the succession. Besides, children aren’t something you can have on your own.”

“I know that.”

“If you know that, why suggest it? It’s too obvious what the nobles’ reaction would be if a child suddenly dropped from the sky.”

“We could bring in a temporary fake family as a shield.”

To move freely in the palace, I needed a clear identity. If I tried to gloss over my sudden appearance, those raccoon-like senators and nobles would certainly investigate my background.

So I needed to create a clean family relationship to prevent any rumors.

After all, the sudden appearance of an emperor’s illegitimate child wasn’t uncommon.

The situation was a bit complicated because I was a woman, but I could just say I gave birth to the child and abandoned it right away.

Of course, I would need to fabricate when I was pregnant and gave birth, but since I usually went down to other territories once or twice a year, that wouldn’t be a big problem.

It would tarnish my reputation, but I never had a good reputation to begin with, so that was fine.

However, Rigan didn’t seem to agree with my plan.

“Where would you bring this fake family from?”

That question hit the mark.

Commoners weren’t strong enough to withstand pressure from nobles. If they were kidnapped and tortured, it would be disastrous.

But what if I silenced nobles instead?

‘I might as well just announce to everyone that I’m Emperor Estria.’

What if I said I didn’t know who the father was, or that he was dead?

‘Then I, as a child, would suffer. If the father isn’t clearly identified, they might think I’m an easy target and attack me.’

Even if I wasn’t really an imperial princess, I didn’t want that kind of trouble.

Besides, I also needed to find a way to return to normal. I didn’t want to deal with more annoying situations.

After much deliberation, I paused while staring at Rigan, who was looking at me seriously.

Yes, though he was a bit stupid, he did have a handsome face.

No, he was more than just handsome. Along with my political rival Duke Kelliard, he was counted among the empire’s most attractive men. Plus, he was tight-lipped and always by my side, so it would be easy to make up a story.

“You want to be my father?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Rigan’s face contorted strangely, and he suddenly began twisting his body like an earthworm out for a walk on a rainy day.

“That’s impossible!”

Though I had just thrown the idea out there in frustration, his vehement rejection left me feeling rather offended.

I clicked my tongue.

“Fine. Having someone like you as a father, even for a fake identity, would be my disgrace. I’d rather say the child’s father died during a difficult birth.”

Despite being called a disgrace, Rigan looked quite relieved. He even looked grateful to be considered a disgrace.

I continued to ponder.

“Someone strong enough to withstand pressure from nobles, free from power relationships, and tight-lipped… Does such a person even exist?”

“That sounds almost inhuman. Is there even anyone in this continent outside the influence of the Arsis Empire?”

The shock must have been severe, as Rigan now had the look of someone who just wanted anyone but himself for the role.

But as soon as he finished speaking, something flashed through my mind.

“Right, I don’t necessarily need to look among humans.”

“Your Majesty, I was just being sarcastic. You shouldn’t take it seriously.”

Rigan looked horrified.

“An emperor’s illegitimate child is already complicated enough, but if it’s a mixed-blood with another race, it becomes even more complicated.”

“What’s so complicated about it? You can handle the paperwork.”

“That’s exactly why it’s complicated.”

“What does that have to do with me? You’re the one who’ll find it complicated.”

Rigan rubbed his forehead at my brazen response. But seeming to realize that I never reversed my decisions, he soon adopted a resigned expression.

“Fine. But how will you find someone? Surely you’re not planning to post a recruitment notice?”

“You lack imagination. Non-magic users are always so limited in their thinking.”

Rigan looked extremely wronged, but I showed no mercy. I beckoned to him with my finger.

He approached me, now seemingly accustomed to it. Then he knelt down to make it easier for me to face him.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and calmly said:

“First, go out and check if there were any intruders in my palace last night. I doubt I wouldn’t have noticed, but just in case.”

“Understood.”

“And order that no one enters my room, then find a lady-in-waiting.”

“But Your Majesty’s palace already has ladies-in-waiting.”

“Those are attendants for the emperor, not for the imperial princess.”

If I was going to disguise my existence as the emperor’s daughter, an imperial princess, I had to make sure no one discovered the emperor’s disappearance.

To do that, I needed to separate the emperor’s and princess’s staff. Of course, the rooms would need to be separate too.

“I’ll use puppetry magic to create a fake Emperor Estria to fool everyone. This is absolutely confidential to the ladies-in-waiting.”

Despite his earlier strong reactions, Rigan nodded very obediently. I looked satisfied.

“Handle it cleanly and quietly. If you don’t manage it properly…”

I smiled sweetly as I raised my hand to tap his cheek gently. Then I continued in the most kind and loving voice:

“I’ll follow you around calling you daddy, so take care of it.”

At that moment, Rigan’s face cracked.

I lowered my hand. With a solemn expression like a general charging alone into enemy territory, Rigan continued:

“I’ll resolve this at the risk of my life.”

Does he hate the idea of a scandal with me more than death itself?

Rigan left the room. Though I always scolded him, his ability to handle tasks was trustworthy.

I smiled faintly at the door that had closed in an instant.

* * *

After Rigan left, I fell into thought.

Although I had spoken firmly to Rigan, I wasn’t ignorant of the risks in this plan.

‘Other races are all so unpredictable.’

This meant they weren’t very interested in human—specifically noble—power games, but conversely, it also meant they might not listen to me and could create unexpected situations.

‘But I can’t just sit still like this either. In the current situation, the nobles are who I need to be most wary of. It’s highly likely that one of my political rivals is behind my transformation.’

Other races not entangled in power relationships could be subdued with my magic, but nobles were different.

They were cunning creatures, unlike other races who simply conquered or were conquered by force; nobles operated insidiously.

Above all, I believed someone’s scheme was behind my transformation.

After all, I had ascended to the throne by slaying my siblings. Having many enemies wasn’t strange for someone like me.

After finishing my thoughts, I moved to the carpeted area a little away from the bed.

As soon as Rigan left, I tore off my cumbersome nightgown and roughly tailored it to fit my body, making it a bit more comfortable to stand in.

‘Now, first the summoning circle.’

My plan was simple: use a magic circle to summon someone who met my “conditions.”

And my conditions were exactly five:

First, they must be strong.

Second, they must have no interest relationships with nobles in the Arsis Empire.

Third, they must lend their name as the father of the child-turned Emperor Estria, cooperate in concealing my identity, and fulfill that duty.

Fourth, they must not act arbitrarily.

Fifth, as compensation, they can take whatever they want from Emperor Estria’s dungeon vault.

This summoning circle would appear only to those who met my conditions, and if they liked the compensation I offered, they could respond to the summoning.

And if they refused the summoning, they would forget everything—from the fact that someone tried to summon them, to the conditions, compensation, and everything else—and return to their original state as if nothing had happened.