#8.
‘Ah.’
The soft rustling sound of turning pages suddenly stopped.
Shion blankly stared at his own thumb resting on the corner of the page and murmured.
“I remember now.”
The reason why he had gone to see Veronica that day.
‘I’d forgotten…’
He propped his chin in his hand and, as if finding it amusing, smoothed the corner of his lips upward.
“Ah!”
“What is it, Veronica?”
“Ah! Ah!”
Cradled in the Emperor’s arms, Veronica had said a single thing to Shion when they happened to meet in the palace hallway.
“Op…pa?”
“Yes, that’s right. Oppa… huh?”
Silence filled the hallway where only the three of them stood.
Before long, the Emperor’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked back and forth between Veronica and Shion, his voice rising.
“Veronica? You… can speak? No, wait, that’s not right. You can already say… words…?”
“……”
While the Emperor flustered, Veronica just giggled at him as if she were delighted.
Shion watched for a moment, then turned around and went back the way he had come.
[Most babies first learn to say easy words like ‘mama,’ ‘papa,’ or ‘dada.’]
‘That’s what they say…’
“Oppa.”
Shion muttered quietly.
From the Emperor’s reaction, it was probably the first proper word Veronica had ever spoken.
Her pronunciation wasn’t perfect, but the word itself was unmistakably “Oppa.”
Realizing that made his cheeks feel oddly warm. It was a word with a pleasant ring to it.
Shion pressed his lips together, as if trying to control the small twitches, and muttered under his breath.
“Getting cheeky… such a little thing…”
‘So that’s the memory I had.’
Tap.
He closed the book. His hand lingered on the finely crafted cover before he turned his head.
Outside the window, the world was covered entirely in white snow, and the smell of winter was thick in the air.
Beneath his fluttering blue hair, his dark red eyes turned toward the white annex where Veronica lived.
It had been around the start of spring—when the lingering chill hadn’t yet left— that he had given her the pendant.
Now that he thought about it, it was coming up on almost a year since then.
Of course, even after that, until just before the exams a few months ago, Shion had often visited Veronica’s room.
Most of the time she would be napping, and Shion would either quietly read beside her or read to her before leaving.
And though they rarely spoke, every time they met in the hall, no matter whose arms she was in, Veronica was always holding or wearing the pendant he had given her.
Because of that—no, thanks to that—Shion had never once felt left out or excluded.
In other words, he felt reassured.
‘Come to think of it, she’s probably about due for a new toy.’
A faint curve touched his previously expressionless lips.
Shion rose from his seat and gazed at his desk, cluttered with stacks of books.
The second exam for early graduation—of course, he had passed—but his body felt stiff from spending so much time sitting at his desk.
‘I could use a walk anyway.’
Putting on a neat, blue coat, Shion looked out the window and murmured.
“It’s been a while… maybe I should go.”
“Hm?”
A sweet, gentle breeze blew through the indoor garden.
Squatting down, the Emperor, who had been reciting flower names with Veronica, tucked his hair behind his ear and looked up.
His beautiful blond hair rippled like golden silk in the breeze.
‘In an indoor garden, real wind…? Of course not.’
And with the Emperor here, there was no way an intruder could have gotten in.
That left only one possibility.
The Emperor’s crimson eyes scanned the surroundings before slowly curving into a smile.
“Veronica.”
“Mm?”
“Looks like Daddy’s here.”
“Gasp!”
‘Daddy? Daddy’s here?’
Dropping the leaf she had been waving around, Veronica jumped to her feet.
Worried she might have gotten dust on her dress, the Emperor brushed her off himself, despite Mary’s attempt to stop him.
The moment he finished, Veronica raised her arms and ran off.
The magical flow was faint, but she could feel it—probably somewhere around here.
‘Isn’t he here somewhere?’
“Papa!”
“My daughter!”
Sure enough, the voice of the High Priest came from the direction Veronica was running toward.
But perhaps she was too eager.
“Pa—ah!”
“Oh!”
She had imagined running into his arms, but alas, Veronica had the short legs of a baby.
As she ran, she stepped on a small stone and went flying forward.
Just when it seemed she would crash, eyes squeezed shut—
“You have to be careful!”
High Priest Helios rolled up the sleeves of his long temple robe and stretched out his arm toward her.
At his fingertips, a misty blue aura streamed forth, wrapping gently around her body.
Like a droplet of water, Veronica floated toward him, and Helios caught her in his arms with a broad smile.
“You’ve got to be careful. If you get hurt, how do you expect Daddy to go on living, hmm?”
“Mm. Sowwy!”
Veronica grinned and hugged him tight.
His bright sea-blue hair swayed softly in her view, and she playfully tugged on it.
‘Why did you only come now…’
Helios—the only man in the history of the Sloran Empire to rise from commoner to High Priest.
A man who, true to his common origins, was blunt in speech and casual in manner.
Though such behavior sparked controversy, it also meant he was unabashedly affectionate with his family.
Especially…
“You’ve done nothing wrong, my daughter. Daddy always says—you’ve never done anything wrong.”
Even if it meant sneaking away from the temple while in the middle of important duties, Helios would come to see his daughter.
“Hmm… let’s see here.”
Bending down, Helios muttered to himself as he looked at the ground.
A moment later, he spotted the stone Veronica had tripped on.
Pressing it under his foot, a violet light flared, and the stone crumbled into dust.
Grinding the fragments beneath his shoe, he smiled.
“Veronica.”
“Mm.”
“If something hurts my little girl, then that’s what’s wrong. Whoever it is, whatever it is, Daddy will punish them.”
“Gonna spank it?”
“Something more than that… wait, who taught you about spanking? Did someone…?”
His arm tightened protectively around her, a cold smile tugging at his lips.
“Who spanked you?”
“N-no…?”
“Oh, really now!”
The Emperor slapped Helios lightly on the back, narrowing her eyes.
“Why would you say something like that to a child, with that scary face? And what would you do if someone had?”
“What do you think? I’d tear them—”
But glancing at the Emperor, Helios shrugged and trailed off.
“Nothing.”
“…What?”
The Emperor’s crimson eyes narrowed.
“What were you going to say?”
“Nothing. I just figured it’s not my place.”
“And that makes me what, exactly?”
“I mean, if it was you who did it, you’d have your reasons. If it wasn’t… well.”
“Well?”
“Would His Imperial Majesty really let them live?”
“You… still see me that way?”
“Still?”
Suddenly, Helios hugged Veronica with one arm and pulled the Emperor in with the other.
Their noses brushed, breaths mingling, and nearby maids quickly turned away, blushing.
Helios kissed the Emperor lightly on the cheek and whispered.
“I’ve loved you—including that side of you—since the very beginning.”
“Don’t say—”
“Marry?”
It was then that Veronica tilted her head from Helios’s arms.
Marry? Merry?
‘What did he just say?’
Veronica was the type who couldn’t stand not knowing.
Tugging on both the Emperor’s and Helios’s clothes, she urged them.
“What’s that?”
Veronica was clever, beyond her years, and knowledgeable about magic and many other things.
But that was based on the age she had reached in her previous life—five years old—before her untimely death.
Meaning: she knew what she knew, and she didn’t know what she didn’t.
And marriage was one of those things she didn’t.
“M-marriage…”
Helios glanced at the Emperor.
“You know, don’t fairy tales cover that sort of thing?”
“When do I have time to read her stories? I’m busy enough as it is…”
“What about Mary?”
“She’s busy too—looking after Shion, handling my errands, managing the junior maids. She barely has time to play with Veronica at all.”
“So she just does her work and leaves?”
“No, to her credit she still squeezes in some playtime with Veronica, though not much.”
“Then our daughter must get lonely.”
“No!”
Veronica shook her head firmly, thumping her chest.
In her past life, yes, the Emperor and Mary were busy, and she didn’t trust leaving her care to others. She had been loved dearly but still felt lonely at times.
This time, though, it was different.
She had much to think about, and knowing how to read already, she could enjoy books.
And most of all…
“I’ll come by again later.”
…Shion would often come to read to her.
Granted, he picked the books himself, which were far too difficult for a baby, but still.
‘The thought is what counts.’
Anyway, she wasn’t lonely.
“So… what’s marriage?”
“Hmm… you really want to know?”
“Yes!”
Her bright blue eyes sparkled.
‘Go on, Dad! Explain!’
“Shall I explain?”
Helios looked far too eager, but the Emperor quickly refused.
“No. I’ll do it.”
“…You don’t trust me?”
“Of course not.”
The Emperor took Veronica into her arms, stroking her hair.
“Listen, Veronica.”
“Mm.”
“The proper pronunciation is ‘gyeol-hon.’ Marriage.”
“Gyeo…hon. Gyun…hong! Gyeo—”
Ah, why is it so hard to say?
“You don’t have to force it. Anyway—”
The Emperor gently patted her chest as she continued.
“Marriage is… Veronica, you know what love is, right?”
“Mm… prince, princess?”
“That’s close enough.”
Apparently Mary had found time to read her some fairy tales.
The Emperor smiled warmly.
“Princes and princesses are always together, right? Whether they’re happy or sad.”
“Mm!”
“That’s because they like each other very much. And they promise to stay together forever—that’s what we call marriage.”
“Ohh…”
“So, Veronica—”
Helios suddenly popped his head between them.
“Who would you want to marry someday?”
“You really have to—?”
“What? This is part of parenting fun—”
“Obviously her mother.”
The Emperor snorted.
“Kids this age always choose their mom. That’s obvious.”
“Hah! Nothing’s obvious.”
“You said yourself you haven’t been spending much time with her lately.”
“So what?”
“That means the playing field is even.”
“No it’s not. Ever heard of maternal love?”
“There’s paternal love too!”
‘So childish…’
Veronica sighed as the two bickered, swinging her between them like a hammock.
Then Mary appeared.
“Uh…”
“Mary, perfect timing.”
The Emperor grabbed her wrist.
“Who do you think Veronica would want to marry?”
“Huh? U-uh, all of a sudden?”
“Yes.”
“It’s important.”
Mary looked between them nervously.
“You mean… between you two?”
“Yes.”
“If I had to say…”
‘Say you don’t know!’
Veronica screamed with her eyes.
But Mary betrayed her.
“I think… maybe me?”
“What?”
“What?”
The Emperor and Helios stared in disbelief.
Veronica shook her head. ‘I trusted you…’
And Mary kept going.
“Well, I’ve spent the most time with her—”
“No way. I carried her for ten months.”
“That’s cheating!”
“How is it cheating? Want to carry the next one? I can make that happen magically.”
“Uh…”
Helios faltered, but quickly retorted.
“Well, before you even carried her, she was in—”
“Stop! What are you trying to say in front of the child?”
The Emperor pinched his lips shut.
“In the end, the choice is Veronica’s.”
“R-right.”
“So, Veronica?”
The Emperor smiled down at her.
“Who do you want to marry?”
“Mm…”
Marriage… being with someone you like forever.
‘If that’s right…’
She looked between them.
‘They’re both nice, but right now…’
She glanced aside.
She could feel it—just like when Helios appeared earlier—a magical presence, familiar.
‘He’s watching, isn’t he?’
She grinned.
“I want to…”
“……”
“……”
“……”
“…Oppa!”
“What?”
“Heh…”
Helios slumped, and the Emperor chuckled, wiping his eyes.
“I don’t even know what we were doing.”
“My thoughts exactly…”
“But, well.”
The Emperor kissed Veronica’s cheek.
“It’s not a bad ending.”
“I guess…”
“So, you’ll marry Oppa?”
“Mm. I will.”
“……”
Far away, a shadow slipped away.
‘Marry me?’
Leaning against the wall, Shion snorted softly.
“As if I’d agree to that. Cheeky thing…”
It was cold outside. The timing to interrupt was off, so Shion decided to go back.
Whether from the cold or another reason entirely, his cheeks were burning as he quickened his pace.
“I’ll have to talk to her about that later…”
