After two escapes, the Emperor acknowledged his parenting views were wrong, but he couldn’t turn back Adelia’s childhood spent only in the palace until she was nearly an adult.

‘Right, maybe it’s better to face it earlier.’

It was something they would have to face someday. Since things had come to this, Adelia planned to change the Emperor’s parenting views starting now.

‘In the original work, only Lucian and Lawrence could advise the Emperor. Though they both shared his thinking and didn’t advise him, I’m different.’

Lucian and Lawrence also opposed the princess going out. They wanted her to live seeing only good things, eating only good things, and hearing only good things in the palace.

Adelia couldn’t understand that thinking. It didn’t make sense that while they freely went outside, they would raise Ariana confined.

“Father!!”

Adelia called loudly to the Emperor who couldn’t escape his shock. It was the loudest voice the usually soft-spoken Adelia could make.

Even Lucian, listening beside her, turned to look at her with a dumbfounded face.

The Emperor, who had been looking elsewhere, also turned his head.

“What……”

The Emperor slowly turned his gaze and answered as if tired.

Adelia didn’t miss that opening and took out the prepared book. When she placed the book on the desk with a thud, the Emperor gave it a brief glance.

“I bought this parenting book thinking of you when I was at the bookstore the other day. You probably don’t have this one.”

At the words ‘parenting book,’ the Emperor’s gaze slowly moved. The Emperor, who had collected parenting books to become a good father after having children, had made collecting parenting books his hobby at some point.

Adelia spoke again.

“I think this book fits the current situation perfectly. I hope you’ll read it since it might help.”

Adelia held out the book to the Emperor.

At the words that it might help, the Emperor flinched. Like dropping a purifier into murky water, his dull red eyes slowly regained their color.

The Emperor reached out and picked up the book. Though he appeared calm, his slightly trembling hands and wavering gaze revealed his urgency. The pretty wrapping was torn to shreds by the Emperor’s hands.

When the wrapping completely disappeared and the pink color was fully revealed, the Emperor’s face hardened.

“You. What is the meaning of this?”

The book, made of sturdy paper with thick leather binding, was crumpled miserably like a sheet of paper.

In that moment, intense anger erupted from the Emperor. The formless energy filled the room and escaped through tiny gaps. Even Lucian frowned at the powerful force.

The sound of violent coughing came from the aide right outside the door. Soon after, there was a thud and noisy voices of people.

‘Seems they collapsed.’

It was a force difficult to endure even for someone trained their whole life. Even the shadows hiding in this room were affected by the Emperor’s energy. Though not enough to reveal themselves, their perfectly concealed presence was exposed and agitated breathing could be heard.

In contrast, Adelia sat straight in her place without a change in expression.

“I left you alone because I liked how Ariana followed you well, but now you’re crossing the line.”

Anger permeated the Emperor’s voice as he emphasized each word. The Emperor’s emotions were clearly revealed.

His red eyes, having regained their color, burned intensely, fueled by anger.

The Emperor threw the book to the floor. The ruined book rolled across the floor.

Adelia silently watched the book rolling on the floor. Though she had expected this might happen, seeing the book she gifted rolling on the floor didn’t feel good.

“Get out. I don’t keep those who don’t know their place by my side.”

The Emperor stood up abruptly. He sat down heavily at his desk with irritation. His sighing while holding his forehead showed his anger had not yet subsided.

Lucian read the atmosphere and pulled on Adelia.

“Let’s leave. It’s dangerous.”

Even to Lucian, the Emperor was clearly enraged. The shadows were still writhing from the energy he was emitting.

If not for what Adelia possessed, she would have lost her head right here.

No, if she weren’t a white mage, she probably couldn’t even withstand the Emperor’s anger.

Lucian grabbed Adelia’s arm. Even for Adelia, going further was dangerous.

“Let go of me.”

Adelia firmly shook off Lucian’s arm. Having provoked even the Emperor’s anger, she couldn’t end it like this.

If she left now, her relationship with the Emperor would be irreparable. She couldn’t allow the trust she had built to crumble.

Moreover, her plans to prevent the princess’s escape and give her normal experiences would turn to bubbles.

“Do you know what you’re doing right now?”

“Yes. I’m about to turn the Emperor of a nation into an enemy. Though that won’t happen.”

Adelia was confident. The Emperor she had observed wasn’t as stubborn as expected. He was closer to a wise ruler than a tyrant who would listen and reflect on opinions if there were proper grounds and logic.

It was time for the information she had carefully gathered to shine.

“You— really. What are you thinking?”

“I’m saving the princess. No. I’ll say I’m saving the empire.”

“Father is a frightening person. If you make him your enemy, you won’t be able to live in the empire.”

“Then I’ll flee to the Holy Kingdom. Well. They’ll welcome me with open arms.”

Adelia shrugged her shoulders. Though her tone was joking, she was half serious.

If the Emperor truly wouldn’t accept her intentions and continued to refuse, and their relationship completely soured, she planned to hand over the merchant guild to Conrad and flee to the Holy Kingdom.

Even an Emperor with military power couldn’t touch the Holy Kingdom that avoided war.

Whether he knew Adelia’s sincerity or not, respect began to fill Lucian’s eyes.

‘To joke in this situation.’

He was amazed at how relaxed Adelia was in a situation where even he felt suffocated. No matter how much white magic she had, the pressure from the atmosphere couldn’t be ignored.

Lucian quietly lowered his rejected hand. It meant he respected her opinion.

Adelia showed a slight smile then stood up.

“I cannot leave, Your Majesty.”

“What?”

The Emperor, who had been staring at documents, sharply raised his head.

The still-uncontained energy wafted thickly again.

The more it did, the more proudly Adelia raised her head.

“Honestly. I cannot understand why Your Majesty prevents the princess’s outings.”

“It’s not your concern.”

“Though I’ll leave this position in a few years, at least now I am the mistress of the imperial palace. The princess’s education is also my responsibility.”

“Enough.”

The Emperor said, raising one hand. His head was already throbbing just from the matter concerning Ariana. He had no patience to listen to Adelia’s nonsense.

But Adelia wasn’t one to be stopped by such gestures. She walked firmly to the desk.

“No matter how vast the palace is, it cannot contain the whole world. There’s no vast ocean, no market full of human warmth, no bustling festivals. You cannot experience everything in the palace. Children need to grow through various experiences.”

“Get out. I won’t overlook this anymore.”

“No matter how much you keep the princess in the palace, you cannot cover her eyes and ears. The princess already knows about and yearns for the outside. If you block her outings, it will become poison.”

Adelia paid no mind to the Emperor’s threats. She stated her opinion in a clear voice.

The Emperor crumpled the document listing gifts and spoke in a dangerous voice.

“The outside is dangerous. It’s too dangerous for that soft and fragile child to go out.”

“That’s why there are guards and the capital’s knight order, isn’t there? Moreover, there’s Father who is the empire’s best knight, and two brothers no less skilled. And the strongest mage is her new sister. Who would dare touch the princess?”

“……”

The Emperor’s firm eyes wavered ever so slightly. Adelia dug into that gap.

She now realized that regarding family matters, the Emperor was swayed more by emotion than logic.

Adelia clasped her hands and smiled slightly.

“Don’t blindly prevent the princess’s outings. When I showed the princess the video from our honeymoon last time, you don’t know how much her eyes sparkled. She looked so happy. How much more would she enjoy actually going out?”

Adelia blinked while gently crinkling her eyes. It was a genuine smile from her heart, not a fabricated one.

Adelia still couldn’t forget how Ariana looked when she saw the ocean. The sight of her sparkling eyes and happy face was clear in her mind.

If the Emperor saw that smile, he would surely be even happier than her.