CICN SS 2

Side Story Chapter 2

“Cough!”

At that question, Clois suddenly coughed loudly, as if he had swallowed water the wrong way.

After a few more coughs, he finally met the expectant gaze of Ivy, who was still looking at him.

There was so much anticipation in her eyes.

At that moment, Clois recalled a report from the head maid not long ago.

“Recently, she’s been diligently reading the storybooks in the palace library.”

“Storybooks? Isn’t that a bit too childish for Ivy?”

Ivy could handle the academic texts at the academy without issue. Surely, storybooks would seem far too simple for a child like her. Yet, she was enjoying them.

“Well… the books she mainly reads are…”

The head maid hesitated for a moment, then spoke with some difficulty.

“…stories about princes and princesses. While reading them, she asked me, ‘Mom and Dad, did you meet like this too?’ It seems she’s curious about the stories of how the two of you came together.”

At the time, he had just taken it in stride.

Clois cleared his throat and averted his gaze from Ivy, who was still staring at him with sparkling eyes.

He knew very well what the stories in those books usually entailed. Princes and princesses always had fateful first meetings.

Apparently, Ivy seemed to think that his own meeting with Lilian must have been just as wonderful and storybook-like.

“Oh, right… the head steward mentioned earlier that tonight’s dessert will be strawberry milk pudding.”

“Really?”

At the mention of strawberry milk, Ivy’s eyes shone even brighter.

“Of course. They also prepared caramel custard pudding along with it…”

“I want that too!”

Worried someone might take it first, Ivy raised her hand enthusiastically and exclaimed.

“Do you want me to eat yours too, Dad?”

Clois expected her to happily agree, but…

“Hmm…”

Ivy paused, thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“No. The doctor said eating too many sweets could make my teeth rot. He also said I should only have one candy a day. And Dad should eat his own dessert—that will make the chefs who made it happy.”

Everything Ivy said was correct, and Clois nodded in agreement.

“Alright, Ivy, what did you do today? I had the monthly meeting since morning.”

“Well, in the morning, my etiquette teacher explained about the New Year’s banquet…”

When Clois asked directly, Ivy began explaining everything she had done since morning, step by step.

In the process, Clois naturally forgot the question he had intended to ask.

Dinner, as always, ended pleasantly.

Clois, watching Ivy finish every bit of dessert with satisfaction, thought it was about time to leave, when Ivy suddenly spoke up, as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, right. I’ll sleep in my own room tonight.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

Clois’ face fell, as if the sky had collapsed.

According to palace etiquette, royal children do not sleep in the same room as their parents after birth.

From birth, each child has a designated space, usually with a nanny, but not with their parents.

“Can’t I sleep with Dad?”

No one could resist a little princess, dressed in pajamas with chicks on them, pleading to be with her father.

Moreover, unlike other royal children, Ivy had spent seven years without seeing her father regularly. Few would insist on enforcing strict palace rules on a child who had longed to be with her dad.

Fortunately, after a month of sleeping together with Clois every night, Ivy decided she would sleep in her own room from then on.

“I’m not a baby anymore.”

The maids simply smiled at the small, determined princess, her tiny fists clenched with resolve.

Clois, however, felt a twinge of sadness.

Covering Ivy with a blanket while she slept had been one of his daily joys.

As Clois’ shoulders drooped, Ivy quickly said,

“I’ll sleep with Dad again on weekends!”

Thanks to that, Clois managed a small smile.

The problem was… today was that weekend.

Ivy was expected to come that night, and the head steward had even prepared a popular paper game from the capital for her.

New books she would enjoy were also ready. Beautiful fountain pens and the finest paper notebooks had been prepared!

“I have a little homework left from Professor Malres. So I’ll finish that all today and then go to bed.”

Due to the earlier kidnapping incident, Ivy, Arsel, Ruska, and Irene had all been allowed to skip the remaining two terms.

School rules dictated that missing more than half the term would result in expulsion.

However, all four were exceptional talents at the academy, and the authorities considered the special circumstances.

It was decided that if they achieved above-average scores in the academy-wide exam right before the next term, they could retain their status.

Ivy and Irene were fairly confident.

The problem was Arsel and Ruska.

Arsel had not fully recovered physically and was still recuperating at the duke’s residence.

Though he wrote that he was fine, if that were truly the case, he would have returned to the palace—but he had only sent letters for a month.

Ruska’s issue was slightly different in nature.

“I studied so hard to barely get that last score… am I going to be expelled?”

Irene, frustrated at Ruska’s whining, smacked her on the back of the head without mercy.

“Stop whining and study!”

“Oh, studying too well is a punishment in itself!”

After some back-and-forth, they decided Irene would go between their houses to help Ruska study.

Ivy, even taking a break, could still achieve above-average scores without issue.

Fortunately, the doctor said Ivy had not suffered significant psychological aftereffects from the incident.

As soon as this news reached Professor Malres, he rushed over.

“My little… ah, no, Your Highness! You might be bored, so I’ve brought a new math workbook. Why don’t you try it?”

The head maid looked at him incredulously, thinking, What kind of person is this?

But Ivy’s face lit up, and she accepted the workbook enthusiastically.

She jumped up and down with joy, leaving the head maid completely stunned.

A seven-year-old so happy over a math workbook… it was almost unbelievable.

Ivy eagerly began solving the problems, even planning to finish everything by tomorrow.

“So, bye Dad! See you tomorrow!”

Ivy waved to Clois, then approached the head maid, holding her hand.

The head maid smiled and said she would leave, disappearing with Ivy.

Clois watched the path Ivy had taken for a while, feeling a bit forlorn, then turned away limply.

Step by step, the Emperor of the Great Harkia Empire—known as the greatest ruler in history, a strong knight, and a fearsome figure to his enemies—trudged back to his chambers.

When Clois returned and changed clothes, the head steward entered, bowing.

“What is it?”

“Duke Kellan and Marquis Lagselv request an audience with Your Majesty.”

“The two of them?”

Considering today was the monthly meeting, even those who rarely came to the palace had arrived to submit reports.

“Send them in.”

“Very well. Shall I prepare drinks…?”

“Tea. If I drink alcohol and fall asleep, Ivy will notice immediately.”

Clois, out of old habits from nights when he could hardly sleep, sometimes drank before bed.

But one morning, Ivy had noticed, her eyes wide, saying,

“Dad, it smells like alcohol.”

Then she had tightly held his hand and murmured,

“I don’t like the smell of alcohol…”

From that day, Clois quit drinking.

The steward left to prepare the tea, and soon, Duke Kellan and Marquis Lagselv entered.

Both had been shaken by the near-loss of their sons during the Siren incident and had stayed at their estates recently.

“It’s been a while. Shouldn’t you visit the palace more often?”

“You would not have come if the princess were elsewhere.”

“True.”

The three sat down, smiling.

The steward placed the tea and left, and several topics were discussed.

“By the way, was Sabina safely buried in Solem?”

Sabina—the maid who had been entrusted to Ivy by Lilian but got lost during the escape.

She had not survived the winter.

Before passing, Ivy had held her hand tightly and said,

“Please tell Mom that I’m okay… and that I met Dad.”

Sabina smiled brightly, nodded, and that was her last moment.

Clois allowed part of her hair to be buried next to Lilian’s grave in the palace and sent her body to Solem to be with family.

According to reports, she was buried in a very sunny and peaceful spot.

“Alright. The funeral seems to have gone well.”

Clois sipped his tea bitterly.

Solem—Lilian’s hometown.

When that came up, Clois recalled Ivy’s earlier question.

Haah…

Recalling it again, Clois let out a deep sigh, and the duke and marquis looked at him curiously.

“Is something troubling you?”

“Well… Ivy asked me how I first met Lilian.”

Their expressions stiffened.

“D-did you… tell her the truth?” stammered Marquis Lagselv.

“No. I couldn’t lie, but I managed to subtly divert the question.”

Clois sighed even more deeply.

“She seems to expect a beautiful story like in the storybooks…”

The duke and marquis’ expressions darkened further.

Clois, full of worry, said,

“How can I explain that the first time we met, she grabbed me by the collar, shouting, ‘You… what kind of person are you?’ and we ended up fighting?”

He recalled that time vividly, as if remembering an event from long ago.