The Long-Awaited Day.
I had practiced whenever I could, all for this very moment.
“Baba-yo (Look at this)!”
I was lying in the cradle, belly-down, chest pressed to the mattress.
It was finally time to show off.
‘Put strength into the arms!’
My upper body slowly lifted off the bed.
Mom and Luluka’s eyes widened.
“Y-Your Majesty! P-Princess Isabel just…!”
“That almost looked like a push-up.”
I propped myself up using only my arms.
But the physical demonstration didn’t end there.
Still holding myself up, I lifted my left arm.
I supported my whole 6kg body weight with just my right arm.
‘Wow. I couldn’t do this at twenty, but now I’m doing it at two.’
The ten-year-old princes of this empire could slice rocks with swords.
So this probably wasn’t all that surprising in comparison.
Then—thump!
I flopped down.
Ack!
I landed face-first and hurt my nose, but held back a scream out of pride.
“Your Majesty! The princess just did a one-arm push-up!”
To be honest, it wasn’t a push-up. It was more of a hold.
Still, to the nanny, it probably looked like a grand feat.
“She may have inherited the blood of the Billotian imperial family, but this is beyond expectations. The princess is definitely a genius.”
Luluka seemed genuinely impressed.
“It was like performance art by a great artist. She must’ve taken after you, Your Majesty, with such an artistic spirit.”
P-Performance art…?
The praise was utterly ridiculous.
Performance art, really…?
‘…Actually, that doesn’t sound too bad.’
Absurdly enough, I quite liked the compliment.
‘I can’t help it. It’s because I’m in a baby’s body.’
Babies were weak to praise, especially from their moms or nannies.
And truthfully, I was happy.
However, there was one shameful thing.
‘I just wish my butt would stay still.’
Wiggle, wiggle.
My butt was dancing again.
Whenever I felt proud or happy, this body would naturally start dancing.
Even if I wanted to hide my emotions, my butt would always give me away.
‘Well, I’m still a baby.’
I decided not to stress over such a small thing as my dancing butt.
It was just a matter of enduring a tiny bit of embarrassment.
‘Might as well get more praise while I’m at it.’
I wanted to hear my mother’s praise—something I never once got in my previous life.
‘Alright, here goes.’
Confidence surged within me.
My thirst for attention exploded.
“One more time!”
Mom and Luluka focused on me again.
As always, their attention sent a thrill through me.
“This time, this arm!”
I tried again, this time with my left arm.
And once again—thump! I flopped down.
But Mom and Luluka clapped and laughed in delight.
Their happy faces and warm smiles were beautiful.
Thanks to that, I felt happy too.
Just then, the door opened and a voice rang out.
“Serna. What is it that brings you such joy?”
The air in the room instantly froze.
The voice was sharp, like blades.
‘Dad?’
It was the first time I’d heard Dad’s voice since the Sword Selection Ceremony.
Dad’s voice was cold.
It was like a bitter northern wind.
A voice capable of freezing everything around it.
Mom answered calmly.
“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you knock first?”
“…”
Dad stepped out as she asked.
Then, a knock—tap tap.
Mom’s voice turned warm.
“Could it be my beloved, His Majesty the Emperor?”
“…I knocked this time.”
Mom handed me to the nanny and went to open the door herself.
“Thank you. I love you.”
Dad’s expression was stiff.
But I knew what that meant. He was shy.
He had never loved a child, but he loved Mom dearly—that was his canon trait.
I didn’t fully understand how he could draw such a line between the two, but it was how it was.
Mom continued.
“Your Majesty, your voice sounded harsh earlier. Why?”
“Empress, it’s just that…”
Luluka gently laid me down in the cradle and excused herself to get tea.
“If you speak that way, it breaks my heart.”
“…”
Dad might be the strongest in the world with a sword, but he always fumbled around Mom.
He rarely made mistakes with her, but the one time he did was when I was born.
He had coldly rejected me the moment I was born, calling me useless despite Mom’s hardship.
It was never directly described in the novel, but I imagined Dad spent the entire night begging for Mom’s forgiveness.
‘Well, a daughter being born into the Billotian imperial family is considered a curse.’
And since the child she risked everything for turned out to be me—a “problem child”—he must have really resented me.
…At least, that’s what I thought.
But I was in such a good mood back then that I brushed it off. Now that I think about it, that really was hurtful.
‘Still, I’ll think positively!’
Even Mom apologized for giving birth to me. So it was reasonable to make some allowances.
Anyway, Dad clearly looked flustered.
His face was emotionless, but I saw his throat bob hard.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Then tell me why you spoke so harshly. If I did something wrong, I’ll correct it.”
If you heard her tone, you’d think Mom was being submissive—but in truth, Dad was the one sweating.
Suck, suck.
I sucked on my pacifier.
The sunlight was warm. The breeze felt nice.
A perfect day for pacifier sucking.
‘Let’s take a guess—maybe he was looking for his beloved wife, heard joyful laughter, got jealous, and barged in?’
I watched my mom and dad with satisfaction.
‘Ah, good times.’
Dad was the strongest character in the world, rivaling even the male lead.
His only weakness was Mom.
In fact, the reason he eventually lost to the male lead was because of Mom.
‘He spent so much time tending to me that Mom’s health declined. She grew ill and passed away early…’
After she died, Dad fell into despair.
“A world without the Empress is so empty.”
He had spent his whole life for the glory of the empire—yet he wept bitterly.
“Ron lived each day barely clinging to life, like someone who’d lost his tomorrow.”
Eventually, his strength faded, he lost to the male lead, and the empire fell.
Remembering how he was actually a sweet guy who only loved Mom made my heart swell.
‘I want to see Dad’s face again.’
But I couldn’t see him while lying down.
No choice, then.
I got up.
Ugh, why is my diaper so heavy today?
Dad’s gaze fell on me.
I tried giving him a powerful look.
“Dadda-mama!”
I pointed at Dad.
Grunting and swaying, I stood up on wobbly legs.
“Dadda-mama!”
“What… is the child doing?”
“She’s calling for you.”
I stood on shaky legs and looked into his onyx eyes.
It felt like I was being pulled into them.
And then, instinctively, I said:
“Shadang-haeyo (I love you).”
I didn’t know why I said it.
It just came out.
“…”
Step, step.
Dad walked toward me.
He looked slightly angry.
“Say that again.”
My voice shrank.
“Sha…dang-haeyo.”
Awkward silence fell.
I was a little scared.
Maybe I’d said something I shouldn’t have. Maybe I’d be scolded.
We were father and daughter, sure—but we hadn’t shared much emotional closeness.
‘Did I go too far?’
I cautiously asked.
“Dadda-mama… Are you mad?”
He definitely looked angry.
Mom came to the rescue.
“He’s not mad, sweetheart.”
Her words instantly calmed me. Mom’s words were like magic.
“Your father is just a little shy.”
“Empress…”
“You can be honest in front of your daughter. There’s no need to be an iron-blooded emperor at home.”
“…”
“The people may want a ruthless ruler, but your family wants a kind husband and father. I love the gentle you.”
Mom smiled sweetly and said to me,
“Isabel. What do you say to Mommy every day?”
“Shadang-haeyo?”
“Not that one.”
“Hold me?”
“Right. Try saying that to Daddy too.”
Dad took a step back, like he was facing something terrifying.
I looked between them, and Mom gave me an encouraging nod.
I mustered my courage and held out my arms.
“Dadda-mama.”
Starting was the hard part.
Now that I’d taken the leap, I wanted more.
“Can you hold me…?”
Dad’s face turned red with panic.
“Would you like Daddy to hold you, Isabel?”
“Yeah!”
“Why?”
“Because…”
I hesitated, then decided.
A baby’s body didn’t have the self-restraint to hide such feelings.
I only had 21 years left anyway.
I might as well follow my heart.
“Because I love you.”
“…”
“It feels good when you hold me.”
Dad muttered,
“You’re quite the handful. Do you think it suits a Billotian princess to be so clingy?”
Still, I stood with open arms, swaying unsteadily.
And I knew.
Ah, I’m going to fall again.
But my premium shock-absorbing diaper will protect my precious bottom—huh?
I didn’t fall?
My body lifted into the air.
“Kyaa! You held me!”
Just before I hit the floor, Dad had caught me.
It wasn’t the cold, careless lift from the sword ceremony.
“You really held me!”
I felt his warmth.
I felt protected beneath the shadow of family.
Dad looked at me.
In my previous life, I never even saw my father’s face.
That jerk didn’t even look at me before abandoning me.
But now it was different.
Everything felt like a gift.
“Dadda-mama is a present.”
Oddly, tears welled up in my eyes.
But what happened next was even more unexpected.
