“See? You are my knight, after all.”

The girl beamed brightly. The boy’s heart raced. Becoming Helia’s knight? He had never considered it, but somehow, it felt as if it had always been destined to be that way. That it should be him by her side. And so, it seemed only natural that he secretly swore an oath of knighthood before her.

The boy was always by the girl’s side as if they were people meant to meet. It felt so natural that there was no room for doubt.

‘I exist because you do, and you exist because I do.’

They shared the stars of the deep night and the sunshine of the bright day.

‘None of these moments were insignificant. Because you were there, I could never lose my way, no matter how dark the night. You shone like a bright star in the night sky, and I never doubted that you would always be there in that very spot. How presumptuous of me.’

***

“Your Majesty!”

At the girl’s call, the eyebrows of an old man with specks of gray in his golden hair rose. He exaggeratedly grumbled.

“I really want to know who taught you that word.”

At this, the nanny following her hurriedly bowed her head as if admitting her fault. Arphon only gave her a gentle smile, indicating he wasn’t blaming her.

“You can just call me Grandpa.”

“But you’re the king, so I should call you ‘Your Majesty.’“

“Then let’s make a deal. When it’s just the two of us, you can call me Grandpa. How about that?”

“Alright.”

The girl grinned, pleased by yet another shared secret between her and her grandfather.

The girl’s relationship with her grandfather was quite special. Arphon knew that his granddaughter did not receive much love from her parents, which made her all the more dear to him.

“What did you do today?“

“I paid my respects to Mother and played with Ruben!“

“It sounds like you had a great time.“

“Yes. Ruben is so bright that being with him makes me feel good.”

The girl said confidently, her cheeks slightly flushed. She often used unusual adjectives to describe people, and among them, Ruben was the boy who monopolized the best descriptors. Pretty, lovely, beautiful, brilliant… When describing him, she always picked the finest words she knew. Arphon found his granddaughter absolutely adorable for it.

“So, what about the Crown Prince?”

The girl knew that this title referred to her father, Rigel. Her bright expression turned gloomy. Arphon asked with concern.

“Didn’t you greet him as well?”

It was a gentle, non-reproachful question, but the girl avoided his gaze, feeling guilty. Arphon was aware that she wasn’t particularly close with her parents. Still, she made it a point to regularly greet her mother, Crown Princess Kate but seemed to avoid meeting her father, Rigel. Rigel wasn’t the type to pay attention to someone who wasn’t affectionate towards him, even if it was his own child. He was a man whose true feelings were hard to discern, even to his own father. Could he really be this detached from his own child? Arphon sighed quietly.

“Do you dislike your father?”

At her grandfather’s question, the girl hesitated. After squirming for a while in his arms, she finally spoke in a small, hesitant voice, responding to his warm gaze.

“I’m scared…“

“Of Rigel?”

The girl fell silent again. Arphon tilted his head in confusion. Rigel had a reputation for being hot-tempered, but he wasn’t unreasonable. The rumors of his cruelty were lies. As far as Arphon could see, his son wasn’t particularly warm, but he wasn’t violent either. Those were just malicious rumors meant to slander the heir who had established a precarious royal power.

Scared? He wouldn’t scare his child even if he was somewhat cold. And his granddaughter was not a timid child; she was a bold, confident girl, naturally possessing the regal bearing of royalty. What could she be so afraid of? Arphon gently coaxed her.

“What is it that’s so frightening?“

“Well…”

For once, the girl could not finish her sentence. Her golden eyes, similar to his own, were filled with fear. Arphon was inwardly taken aback. What could possibly be making her so afraid?

But what she said next was nothing short of shocking.

“Grandfather, I’ve heard people say you are a wise and just king.“

“Why are you saying this all of a sudden?“

“Father will become the exact opposite of you.”

Arphon held his breath. The girl’s voice was so firm that it sounded like a prophecy delivered by a goddess. Did she understand what she was saying? Did she know the opposite of a wise and just king?

The fear in her trembling eyes and her resolute and unwavering voice brought him back to reality. It wasn’t something he could dismiss as nonsense. The overwhelming weight of her words came from a mere seven-year-old girl. Arphon felt himself being overwhelmed. He couldn’t just brush it off despite having no logic or evidence. With a trembling voice, he asked her.

“Why do you think that?“

“Grandfather, can’t you see it?”

“See what?“

“There’s darkness in Father’s eyes.“

“……“

“It’s pitch black and vivid. It always seems like it’s about to consume others.”

It was utter nonsense. Rigel had golden eyes just like his own. As proof, the granddaughter nestled in his arms also inherited those golden eyes.

“But Rigel’s eyes are golden.“

“They’re golden but also black.”

The girl began to utter contradictory statements without a hint of hesitation. Anyone would dismiss her words as childish nonsense. However, Arphon couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t lying. That was the problem.

At that moment, Arphon recalled the empire’s founding myth. The first emperor, Alexander Prekin, who established the empire with the blessing of the goddess Prenia, was said to possess a special power. He could discern friend from foe, distinguish goodwill from malice, and see the true essence of people.

Of course, such stories were often exaggerated to glorify Alexander’s extraordinary insight and greatness. Legends tend to be embellished over time. But why did this story suddenly come to mind now?

“Do you see that in other people too?“

“In some of them, yes.“

“And how do I look to your eyes?”

The girl looked up at him intently as the topic shifted to her grandfather. He swallowed nervously without realizing it, only for the girl to smile bashfully.

“A bright golden light.”

Looking down at his smiling granddaughter, Arphon fell silent. He could easily dismiss her words as a child’s meaningless prattle. But what if she wasn’t wrong? What if the legendary power truly existed in this little girl? He knew it was absurd to even entertain such a thought. Yet, he couldn’t help but be drawn in by the possibility.

“Is there anyone else who appears that way?“

“Hmm, Count Manes and Marquis Vanoa seemed similar to Father…”

The girl began to chatter away. The more she spoke, the more shocked Arphon became. The people she deemed ‘bad‘ were those he had already decided to remove for reasons like embezzlement, while the ones she spoke well of were promising talents he had been eyeing. She accurately perceived individuals without ever having spoken to them.

“And Ruben shines the brightest of all!”

Excited to have someone listening to her secret, the child continued eagerly. But in contrast, Arphon’s expression grew increasingly grave. If everything she said was true, his son would become a notorious tyrant.

Though Rigel could be cold, he had never been cruel. Even with his family, he was aloof, but Arphon never saw it as a fault. Clearly, he harbored ambitions for the throne, but as it was rightfully his, such desires were only natural. In fact, his calculating and rational nature made him, differently, a promising future king. At least, that’s what Arphon wanted to believe.

But, still, he was his only son.

“Helia.“

“Yes?“

“Let’s make a promise, just between us.“

“What kind of promise?”

The girl tilted her head in curiosity. Arphon smiled gently as if there was nothing to worry about.

“Let’s keep this conversation a secret between you and me.“

“Why?“

“If people discover you can see such things, someone might try to harm you.“

“Hmm, alright!”

Although she didn’t understand why anyone would harm her, the girl nodded obediently. She trusted her grandfather wouldn’t lie to her. Arphon affectionately stroked her hair with a gentle touch.

His words were half sincere. Someone might attempt to exploit the girl’s ability if others discovered it. When revealed, powers like hers rarely bring good fortune.

But the other half of his motive was to protect his son. With Rigel’s reputation already suffering from malicious rumors, Arphon worried that any more destabilization might threaten his son’s chances at the throne. He feared that Rigel might lose his place and, in turn, become disillusioned. As much as he was a great king, he was first and foremost Helia’s grandfather and, before that, Rigel’s father. He couldn’t accept his granddaughter’s prediction that his son would be a tyrant. He would rather ignore the reality than abandon his son even if it were true.

This was the beginning of a tragedy.

*To be continued in the next volume.*