Daymond’s Domain.
The former princess ended up breaking her promise and only sent me back late at night.
She asked what Dad liked these days.
Whether he still remembered the red tulips tied to memories with her.
Whether he still hated broccoli.
Even in the novel, I’d never heard so many details about Dad.
I went upstairs with a look like a stray and Han Jihyuk frowned.
“Why the shattered expression?”
“Because I’m shattered.”
I’ve never met such a formidable opponent before.
Truly, never in my life.
“The former princess?”
I opened my eyes wide at his words.
“How do you know?”
“She told you to call her ‘mother,’ right?”
“...Has the rumor spread?”
“Even the street dogs know by now.”
It hadn’t even been half a day since I heard it.
The rumors spread faster than my return to the domain.
I figured gossip would fly fast because it’s shocking and terrifying...
‘Now I understand why Dad looked so fed up.’
He must’ve been tormented by the former princess for a long time.
If he hadn’t emigrated, he really is impressive.
‘I already want to emigrate.’
How did he stand it?
Dad didn’t always have this temper, either.
I flopped onto the sofa and patted my shoulders.
“Ugh...”
A groan slipped out.
Han Jihyuk changed the water in my vase and said,
“You’re like this, so the former princess must be completely crushed.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
He frowned.
After staring at me for a while, he shrugged.
“Why?”
I asked, and he put down the vase.
“You’re weak against people you care about. You cut her some slack.”
“What?”
“If someone bothers you otherwise, you don’t forgive them. But if it’s someone you like, you tend to overlook things.”
Was that true?
As I pondered, Han Jihyuk continued.
“Like with the maids, too.”
Now that I think about it, it did seem that way.
“Erilot, you were like that with Liangtin too. At first, you gave him a taste of his own medicine.”
“Yeah.”
“But now you’ve softened because Liangtin likes you.”
That’s true.
Liangtin likes me even if he pretends not to, so even his grumbling isn’t annoying.
“So you can’t be harsh on the former princess who bothers and interferes with you?”
He said this, frowning.
“Or would you just leave her be with your personality?”
“Hmm... maybe.”
“Want to know the twist?”
“What?”
“When someone you went easy on betrays you, you get terrifying.”
“....”
“It’s true. You get really scary. You can believe me.”
Han Jihyuk shivered.
I nodded.
“Yeah. Like when you talk to him?”
“Huh?”
I pulled on the leash connected to the guard unit.
Soon Mosco burst in with a bang, bang, bang!
“Yes, miss!”
“Han must’ve had fun at training. He wants to train with Mosco again.”
“Is that so?!”
Mosco laughed heartily, patting Han Jihyuk’s back.
Just a pat, but it sounded like a spine cracking.
“Guys build friendship through training! Hahaha!”
Han Jihyuk turned pale and was dragged out.
‘He’s teasing.’
I smirked.
Dad was in a bad mood from morning.
We quietly ate breakfast, sneaking glances at the blazing look on Dad’s face.
Even usually quiet Rishimund.
The twins, who usually bickered noisily when together.
Even me.
But that lasted only a minute or two.
We eventually got impatient and started whispering.
“Dad’s frown will freeze like that if it keeps going.”
“Is it because Anatoly the former princess told Erilot to call her ‘mother’?”
“Or maybe because of the rumors that Erilot isn’t a commoner but was born from Dad and the former princess.”
I was dumbfounded.
I worked so hard not to be called filthy blood.
If I was the former princess’s daughter, would I have gone through all that?
‘Besides, I like my mom.’
Dad and Mom agreed on having me, but Dad said,
Mom truly, truly loved me.
She loved me even more than Dad expected, and she came all the way to Astra domain to give birth to me.
So even though I never met her, I liked Mom.
I’d seen through media how hard pregnancy is.
Blood flow cut off in legs, unable to cut toenails, insomnia, eating disorders...
Mom must have gone through unimaginable suffering.
Also,
“Name this child Erilot. Tell her mother I’m sorry, so very sorry.”
Mom’s expression was desperate when I saw it through my real blessing, .
‘Mom must have been the one who named me.’
I thought Grandpa named me, but it seems Mom chose, and Grandpa just accepted it.
Anyway, I understood why people spread rumors about the former princess after yesterday.
‘The former princess just speaks without thinking about how it affects those involved.’
She never once worried that these rumors would cause trouble for me and Dad.
“Could be rumors about a marriage being arranged at the royal palace.”
That damned rumor.
I rolled my eyes and stabbed the omelet in front of me with my fork.
The former princess is a madwoman who ignores rumors.
She’s so indifferent that she says things like “You can consider me your mother” where everyone can hear.
The former princess herself has an enormous rumor.
When she stopped by the capital briefly to see Dad but wasn’t prepared to go out, court ladies stopped her, so she jumped from a second-floor room.
She seems the type who won’t hesitate for what she wants.
‘She’s really a pain.’
If she likes Dad, she should just go to him.
Stop dragging me along.
‘Don’t make me your baby messenger!’
I have so much to do, yet these annoying things keep piling up.
‘Since it’s the Harvest Festival, I want to get something out of it.’
The Harvest Festival is mainly for agricultural areas.
It doesn’t really help our commerce-centered Astra domain.
No matter my opinion, since it’s decided, the festival will proceed, so I have to pick and choose what to participate in.
There’s actually plenty to take advantage of.
‘For example, creating a food street using the festival.’
The food street is a tourist project I’m quietly pushing.
‘That’s why every region has an X-ro-sugi or X-ridan street.’
Setting up that image draws people.
But most administrators strongly opposed it, saying it didn’t suit the now flashy Daymond domain’s image.
‘What good is flashy on the outside if it’s hollow inside?’
This won’t do.
Daymond’s domain operates by collecting taxes from conquered lands and pouring relief funds into border residents.
‘The population is small, so no crowds, no commerce, and the land is barren for farming.’
Taxes alone can’t solve everything.
Ultimately, they have to be self-sufficient.
They need infrastructure to sustain themselves.
‘The Harvest Festival can be a good start.’
Events like the festival gather local residents.
Not just from Daymond’s domain but from neighboring domains as well.
‘If we develop sellable goods and support surplus labor, that’d be good.’
If street vendors profit, some will make it their livelihood.
Turning the festival site into a landmark for Daymond’s domain as a tourist spot would be great.
‘In Yoo Hyemin’s world, there are countries surviving solely on tourism.’
There’s endless potential for experiments with this Harvest Festival.
But I’m stuck clinging to the former princess!
Am I frustrated or not?
‘Hah. I have to go to the factory today...’
She said she’d come to Daymond’s domain herself if I didn’t go, so I said I’d go.
‘The rumors are already this wild. If Dad runs into her...’
If people see her telling Dad to think of her as Mom, rumors about my birth will explode.
If Dad and I are seen together, it would be chaos.
They say General Daymond suddenly left when talking to the former princess?
She pleaded pathetically that her feelings hadn’t changed.
She came all the way to Daymond’s domain to see the general’s youngest daughter, Erilot.
This is totally...!
The second. Worst. Case.
‘Ugh.’
Thinking of people gossiping about Dad’s nightlife gave me chills all over.
Of course, I imagined how furious Dad would be.
Now that Dad’s developed a bit of patience raising four kids.
Otherwise, he would have been rampaging like a lion.
‘Better I go myself.’
I sighed deeply and put down my fork.
“Then I’ll go to the factory.”
My brothers’ eyes went wide.
“So early?”
“Yeah, it’s not even eight.”
“And leaving food behind?”
I sighed again.
“I just want to go early and come back early.”
Above all, I thought it best to talk to Conrad before meeting the former princess.
‘I have to kill some rumors tangled with the former princess.’
Conrad’s great with handling information, so he’d definitely help.
I stopped whispering with my brothers and told Dad I’d go to the factory.
“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
Dad said, but—
‘What do you mean? I have to save Dad from rumors!’
I marched out boldly.
I quickly finished preparing and activated the blessing stone.
Feeling the fading light, I opened my eyes to see the factory’s landscape.
The imposing factory shrine stood beside a lake and forest.
‘Teleportation is the best.’
Since I got the blessing stone, I don’t even look at carriages anymore.
I took out my pocket watch and checked the time.
‘Hmm, still a bit early.’
The morning meeting at the factory hadn’t ended yet.
Conrad was attending it, of course.
‘I’ll kill time waiting for Conrad.’
Luckily, the nest I made for Lagon was nearby.
Playing with Lagon would be perfect.
I called out loudly.
“Lagon!”
Kyaaak─!
A cute cry answered from afar.
‘He’s eating well and sleeping well.’
I smiled warmly and played the whistle hanging around my neck.
Swoosh!
But something was strange.
No matter how long I waited, Lagon didn’t come.
‘What’s wrong?’
Lagon was a very obedient kid who always ran to me when called.
“Lagon? Lagon!”
While I kept calling him,
“Kyaaak─! Help! A monster─!”
A piercing scream ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) came.
‘A monster? The castle has a barrier that blocks monsters from entering.’
That’s why it’s hard to bring Lagon and Ombre into the domain easily.
The barrier blocks them from going farther.
‘...Could it be Lagon?’
I ran toward the sound.
Soon I saw Lagon clearly.
‘He looks strange!’
He was completely feral, roaring threateningly.
Lagon’s target—
‘A palace maid?’
The pale maid was trembling and couldn’t even run properly.
“Lagon!”
I desperately called to him, but he didn’t turn.
Lagon was gentle and kind.
Among the monsters I kept, he was the most human-friendly.
Monsters usually see humans as prey.
Even the ones I tamed saw all humans except me as prey.
It’s their instinct.
But Lagon was well-behaved, able to endure humans approaching within 100 meters.
Even timid Ombre disobeyed me often after puberty.
But Lagon never once disobeyed me since he was very young.
‘He wouldn’t just ignore my voice like it’s not there!’
I ran toward the maid.
“Lagon! Stop!”
I blocked his path and ordered him, but Lagon tried to attack me instead.
His dilated pupils and unfocused eyes.
He looked completely insane and out of control.
The maid screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Help! Help! A monster’s going to kill me! Kyaaaa! Help!”
Lagon seemed even more agitated by the screams, flapping his wings violently.
“Calm down, Lagon. It’s me!”
Caw! Caw!
But Lagon flapped more wildly and tried to attack me.
I didn’t back down.
Looking straight into Lagon’s eyes, I put the whistle to my lips.
Swoosh!
“Lagon, be good, okay? Remember we promised never to attack humans. Remember? Humans are not to be attacked.”
Lowering my voice so as not to provoke him, I repeated it over and over.
Did it work?
Lagon hesitated mid-attack.