“I told you no riding on its back, Erilot.”
The twins’ voices were fierce.
‘Why do they always fight but suddenly work together so well at times like this?’
Balzac and Joshua glared at me, pressing hard.
I’ve loved heights since I was little. Of course, even before Ragon hatched from his egg, I’d been looking forward to riding on his back.
But!
Because of the twins’ complaints that it’s too dangerous, how many times have I actually ridden on Ragon?
Exactly one time!
Only once!
‘It’s unfair!’
And even then, Balzac shouted with a face like he was having a heart attack for me to get down immediately, so I had to hurry down.
When I got down, Joshua was trembling and holding me tight, so I never got to try again.
‘Not just those two, but Dad too...’
They dismantled Ragon’s nest, shaking the logs, insisting on sending him far away.
‘But that was when I was seven.’
Now I’m ten, right?
I should be able to ride now.
Balzac now rides Jenner every day, who’s become a terrifying King-God-Ultra... no, just Jenner.
Just then—
“Riding on its back... is possible...?”
Abino murmured as if he didn’t hear the twins.
His eyes looked like they were about to shoot hearts.
“First, throw more grapes. Ragon is waiting.”
“Yeah! I think I’ve got the hang of it now!”
Nodding vigorously, Abino grabbed a bunch of grapes and threw them to Ragon.
Thud!
Thud!
Abino wasn’t lying about knowing the knack; he was now throwing grapes quite well.
While picking grapes, he spoke to me.
“Actually, I used to raise an eagle at the castle, but it disappeared.”
Other three-year-olds didn’t get a response when trying to talk, but Abino chatted freely with me.
“Wow, an eagle? That must have been cool.”
“Yeah. It was really cool. So I was really sad when it disappeared.”
“How did it disappear?”
I was genuinely curious.
But Abino’s reaction was a little strange.
His eyes lost focus and became blurry, staring into the distance.
“When was it... when was that...?”
Muttering something, he grimaced and held his head.
“Ugh...”
“Your Highness!”
A servant watching nearby hurried over.
“Ugh. My head hurts...”
Abino held his head in both hands in pain.
“Your Highness, please hold on a bit longer. There’s medicine in your room.”
I watched the servant take Abino away, frowning.
‘Medicine?’
Is he sick?
At the dinner after rest,
The three-year-olds who were too scared of Ragon earlier were now desperately trying to talk to Abino.
Joffrey put on his friendliest face and spoke.
“Your Highness, is the food to your liking? The chef’s skills are excellent. Please try a variety.”
Joffrey wagged his tail enthusiastically.
But...
“This is delicious, Erilot.”
Abino focused only on me.
It seemed his headache had eased during rest.
“Erilot.”
He leaned close to me and chatted quietly.
“Does Ragon only like grapes? Not other fruits? Meat?”
“Ragon isn’t picky. He eats all kinds of meat and can’t get enough fruit.”
Loreina, anxious watching us, tried desperately to join the conversation.
“Your Highness, do you like birds? I raise a pretty lark—”
“Erilot, when I’m taller, can I ride «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Ragon’s back?”
Abino was too tired to even bother being indifferent and didn’t reply.
I saw Loreina’s face flush with frustration.
Loreina, who had previously ignored me saying my offensive Gahos didn’t affect her, must have been very proud.
I nonchalantly chatted with Abino.
“Well, riding on its back... even if you get taller, I think you’ll need the prince’s permission.”
Judging by the twins’ and Dad’s reactions, it seemed unlikely I’d ride Ragon’s back anytime soon, even if I grew taller.
“You birdbrain.”
“I’ll skewer you on a spit...”
“Find out how long steel ravens live. What? 100 years?! Tell them to live just one year!”
Recalling my family’s reactions, Abino said,
“Dad would say yes.”
Really?
I glanced briefly at Prince Velein, and our eyes met.
He laughed quietly while watching us closely.
“Haha. Abino, do you like the young lady that much?”
As if waiting for that, Abino eagerly answered.
“Yes! I want to take Erilot to the kingdom! And Ragon too!”
Whirl! Whirl! Whirl!
‘What’s that sound of necks twisting...’
I looked at Dad and the twins in surprise.
Dad and the twins turned their heads sharply with a fierce wind sound and glared fiercely at Abino.
I widened my eyes.
Isn’t this a guest reception?
𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺 Can’t you tone down the eyes?
“Ahem.”
Grandpa cleared his throat and cut off the conversation.
Then, changing the subject, he asked Prince Velein,
“So, how long do you plan to stay?”
“If I say I’m leaving soon, you’d be disappointed.”
Prince Velein smiled kindly and replied,
“About five days. There’s much to discuss between the duke and me.”
At the meaningful exchange between Grandpa and Velein, the second and third generations’ eyes darted busily.
“That’s right. You should rest well and recover from the journey.”
“Of course.”
Grandpa and Prince Velein exchanged knowing looks.
‘Oh, something big must be going on.’
Something attractive and important must be passing between them.
‘I want to know too!’
I was dying of curiosity.
Probably about the white crystal, but I wondered what was being discussed.
How much white crystal we need, and how much they can supply.
‘Especially who will be responsible for the white crystal supply.’
I scanned the second generation sharply.
Uncles Deconz and Balderick already looked worn out.
Of course, uncles Gustaf, Hernan, and Uncle Parmant had eyes shining with desire.
‘They must think it’s theirs already.’
The credit for managing white crystal supply will go to my dad.
‘I’ll make sure of that.’
While thinking that, Abino asked me,
“So, how much taller do I need to grow?”
He seemed uninterested in his father’s moves and focused only on me.
“Um... well...”
‘I don’t know either! I’ve only ridden Ragon once!’
I roughly said that the taller, the better.
Well, that’s true.
After the dinner ended,
Abino quietly followed me as I stepped out early.
He probably wasn’t just saying he liked me.
“By the way, do you have any other trained monsters besides Ragon?”
“Yes.”
At my answer, Abino’s face lit up.
“Can you show me? Please?”
Blinking his big eyes, he asked.
‘Ugh. Like a puppy.’
Once I thought of Abino as a black poodle, I suddenly remembered a puppy I wanted to raise as a child, and it was hard to refuse.
“If I get the chance...”
I hesitated, but then sensed someone approaching from the opposite side.
A hurried servant of the Aligiosa royal family.
The servant came over and informed Abino,
“Your Highness, it’s time to take your medicine.”
“Ah...”
Abino’s face, which had been bright like a blooming flower, instantly fell.
His shoulders slumped weakly.
Sighing deeply, Abino nodded to the servant.
“Okay. I’ll go up.”
“Yes. I’ll prepare it.”
As the servant went up the stairs, Abino muttered,
“I hate medicine.”
Are they herbal medicine?
Well, after I collapsed and got back up, Dad brought me a bunch of health tonics to take, which was often a struggle.
Feeling sympathetic, I asked,
“What medicine do you take?”
“My headaches are so bad I have to take medicine every day. If I don’t, it hurts the next day for sure.”
“Ah, I see.”
That made sense.
Earlier, holding his head and sitting down looked serious.
‘But... maybe the pain comes from recalling old memories?’
“But I don’t like taking medicine either. It makes me groggy and dull.”
Abino’s complaint puzzled me further.
Groggy and dull?
‘Is there medicine like that? Not a tonic or painkiller?’
Not wanting to talk about gloomy stuff, Abino changed the subject.
“Where do you live, Erilot?”
“When the guests are here, we all stay inside the castle.”
Of course, not every time guests come.
This time it’s because of the annual evaluation.
Abino was happy.
“Then I get to see you again?”
“Yes.”
“And Ragon too!”
“Yes.”
“Other monsters too!”
“......”
I couldn’t give a definite answer on that.
Get permission from the Aligiosa adults.
“Then I’ll go. Bye.”
Abino trudged back to his quarters.
He seemed to want to delay going as long as possible.
I saw him zigzag along the corridor.
‘He really hates taking medicine.’
I went up to my room too.
Now that I attend school from Daymond’s territory without dormitory education, I don’t have a personal room.
I slept in the guest room.
Back in my room, I stretched and tapped my shoulders.
“Ouch, my shoulders. Ouch, my back.”
My body is only ten years old, but why does it feel so worn out already?
It’s all from working so hard.
‘I don’t hate working, though.’
After loosening my stiff body with stretches and some new millennium calisthenics,
‘Now, let’s see if there’s any unexpected variable today.’
I activated my Gaho.
The novel had shifted protagonists from Dalia to Balzac, and now to Dad.
< Dad is the World’s Most Handsome > already had active comments up to chapter 19!
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋLooks like Abino’s got you too distracted to eatㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Dad’s dictionary has no son-in-law, but my dictionary must have a husband...
└ Sitting crouched and sobbing at the wedding.
└ That’s when I’ll take care of it. Erilot, Auntie will be your stepmom~
I feel like I’m raising a daughter with Daymond too. A paper husband and a paper daughter raised by viewsㅠ
└ Not criticism... Isn’t it a virtual husband and virtual daughter?
Our dutiful daughterㅠㅠ~ Taking care of Dad’s hardships by taming monsters and building connectionsㅠ I like the scheming daughter
Let’s set up a shrine for filial Erilot! Yes, let’s!
ㄴ The moment Abino holds her hand, instant blazing unfilial actㅠㅠ Eril~ Live happily with Dad and brothers!
No new content, but reading it felt good.
After becoming < Dad is the World’s Most Handsome > from < Ice. Black. Hand >, the comments about me became much milder.
There was a huge role change from villain to protagonist’s daughter.
Parenting stories are very popular and have many mainstream readers.
Also, thanks to my efforts, all the hardships and trials in Dad’s future vanished.
So the protagonist Dad is progressing the story pretty smoothly!
Maybe because it’s easy to read and free from hard events, the views kept rising steadily.
And the number of comments increased, which was great.
More comments are better.
The more readers comment on the novel, the more info I get.
“Thank you, readers. I’ll cherish and carefully read all your comments.”
Long live the readers! Long live!
I was scrolling happily humming when suddenly...
‘Huh?’
There was a comment I couldn’t just pass by.
But am I the only one creeped out by Abino’s servant? The way the narration emphasized it seems unusualㅜㅜ
Servant?
Emphasized the servant’s narration?
I’m not reading a novel, I’m living the scene, so I don’t know the novel’s changed descriptions.
That’s why the more comments there are, the better I get to know the story.
‘Not all comments are true, but about half are...’
At least half.
Or more.
You can never ignore the instincts of readers who read a lot of web novels.
If they’re creeped out, there must be a reason.
It would be best to know how the narration was emphasized.
But I couldn’t see the content.
I had to check through comments only, so I scrolled furiously.
Still, no useful comments.
‘Let’s think about it. Maybe it’s good, and if it’s true, it’s better to know beforehand.’
I wasn’t paying much attention to the servant while talking to Abino earlier.
However.
There was something unsettling about that flicker in his eyes.
‘That gaze was off.’
Not just a feeling.
I’ve seen countless servants while living as Astra’s noblewoman.
I’m not one to pick a fight just because I feel bad.
‘No harm in watching carefully.’
Besides, I have biological CCTV.
I smirked and looked down at my shadow.
Good boy, my precious child.
Now it’s your time to shine.
“Ombre.”
Calling the name, smoke curled up from within my shadow.
‘Oh, now this really feels villainous.’
Of course, I’m not really a villain since I’m the protagonist’s daughter now.
Anyway, that’s not important right now.
I gave Ombre the order.
“Go check Abino’s room.”