CHAPTER 62………….
Erebos, too, had caused quite a few accidents when he was heir.
“He did plenty of reckless things with Rhea and Phobos as well.”
The campaign against the Sphinx’s nest.
The extermination battle against the sea monster Scylla.
The hunt for the Minotaur.
From his mid-teens onward, he had hurled himself into large and small battles alike.
“Well, back then I was young and hot-blooded.”
Because of that, many people said his calm impression was completely different from his real personality.
Of course, by the time he was married, much of his temper had faded.
But still…
“When your father did those kinds of things, he was at least over ten years old. Not just five.”
“Yes…”
“And he never did them alone. He always went with others.”
“Y-yes…”
The scolding, which had begun after dinner, went on endlessly.
He knew it all ended well enough.
But whenever he recalled that his tiny little daughter had fearlessly thrown herself into the most dangerous place?
Or that she had overexerted her magic and collapsed afterward?
“Elysion. Are you really reflecting on this? Your body is weak, and if you push yourself at times like that, what are you going to do?”
“I was wr…ong…”
“I’ll say it again—”
He found himself repeating the same lecture once more.
His already small daughter shrank down further, like a snowman melting away.
Pitiful as she looked, the childish spite from being so worried would not subside.
“Maybe I should just replace all the servants at Phercen Palace.”
“What?!”
“You keep ending up in danger, and if they can’t stop it, they deserve punishment.”
“N-no! You can’t!”
Elysion jerked her head up, and even stood right on the chair.
Her tiny hands pounded against Erebos’s shoulder.
“I won’t do it again!”
“Really?”
“Yes, really! I won’t do anything dangerous…!”
“Hm.”
Erebos looked down at his flustered child, pretending to ponder.
So this was the fun of teasing a little one.
At last, he smiled reluctantly and gently pried open her tiny fist.
“Then let’s make a promise.”
“A promise…?”
“That you won’t make your father worry.”
Her little finger was hardly the length of a joint on his own.
Erebos carefully hooked her dainty pinky with his.
“There. You’ve promised with Papa, right?”
“Mhm…”
Strangely enough, she squirmed shyly as their pinkies linked.
She was so lovely that he could no longer scold her just because he was worried.
“No more anger. No more frowns.”
He had no wish to ruin the bond with the only family he had left.
He wanted the relationship with his daughter to be the most ideal, the most perfect in the world.
Even if she was still very young.
“Phew…”
“But, Daddy.”
“Hm?”
She whispered with a deeply puzzled look.
“When I turn ten, do I have to catch a Sphinx too?”
“Ah—”
So Elysion was interested in such things too?
“When she was small, she was scared of thunder. I thought she’d hate monsters too.”
In truth, monster hunting had been his favorite pastime.
Until he retired from the frontlines, he himself had led the Kore Knights on many a hunt.
“Would you like to try it?”
He knew it was ridiculous, but his mind was already whirring, considering which nests might still remain to take Elysion to someday.
“If not a Manticore or Sphinx, maybe some easier beasts still left in Tartarus—”
But his daughter stared at him with horrified eyes.
If it had been an adult, the look would’ve meant, “Are you insane right now?”
“No…?”
“Ah, I see.”
Erebos answered evenly, masking his disappointment.
“Seems she didn’t take after me or Rhea in that regard.”
Both husband and wife had been obsessed with monster hunting since childhood.
Even so, the time with his daughter, before sending her off to the Autumn Palace, passed in warmth.
“In the meantime, I’ll investigate and punish every last northerner….”
By the time the snow fell and his daughter returned, Kore would be safer than ever.
When the capital was finally swept by cool breezes,
our Phercen Palace entourage arrived in the south as planned.
Our lodgings were the royal family’s private estate bordering the Terraine domain—the “Autumn Palace.”
A secondary palace adorned with pink arches, glass spires, and vine-carved walls.
The surrounding lake and crimson mountains blended beautifully with the gentle autumn sunlight.
I gazed up at the palace in quiet admiration.
“If Hades Palace is grand, then this one feels so romantic.”
And thinking of Hades Palace made me sigh.
“So in the end, Daddy couldn’t come…”
There was the issue of “Darkness,” but he also claimed he couldn’t spare even a single day.
I silently looked down at my right hand.
Really now. At my age, making a pinky promise with my father?
“Ugh, so embarrassing.”
The last time I’d done such a thing was nearly twenty years ago, with my real parents.
I put my hands behind my back and hummed through my nose.
“Hmm-hmm.”
Being embarrassed over this was starting to annoy me.
Honestly, who wants to go looking for trouble? I just want to live quietly too.
“Just wait until you see how ridiculously peaceful I manage to live here, Father.”
At that moment, Ares, trailing on my right, scrunched up his face.
“Shion, your expression’s weird. All mushy.”
“Ares, your face is weird too.”
“Ughhh. I don’t wanna look at you, Sis…”
“Honestly.”
Meanwhile, Callion, on my left, rolled his eyes in silence.
The glare he shot at the grumbling Ares was icy cold.
But soon, a warm welcome washed away the awkward atmosphere.
“Welcome, Princess. It is an honor to see you again!”
“It’s been a while, Countess Terraine.”
It was none other than Lady Trasa Terraine, Ares’s third sister.
She explained that she had overseen the refurbishments of the Autumn Palace on behalf of the royal household.
Lete, right behind us, also offered her thanks.
“Thank you for assisting us despite such short notice, my lady.”
“Oh, think nothing of it. Now, please, come inside.”
The Autumn Palace was about midway in size between Phercen and Hades Palaces.
Its elegant banquet halls and guest chambers were already open for use.
The children scurried ahead with me, while the adults followed behind, conversing.
“The families in this region have been eagerly awaiting the chance to meet the Princess. Many of them missed the birthday celebration.”
“But since Her Highness is young, we’ll have to keep it to a daytime tea party.”
“Of course. Later, we can review the invitation list together. There are some matters I should discuss beforehand…”
The countess’s words trailed faintly behind her fan.
As I held Ares back from charging ahead, I glanced over my shoulder.
“Is there some problem with the invitees?”
But when my eyes met hers, the countess only smiled serenely.
Reaching a gallery with one entire wall made of glass, she gestured toward the view.
“Isn’t it truly beautiful?”
“Yes! It’s wonderful.”
“Hehe, and when it snows, you can even go sledding here.”
“Oooh…!”
Ares’s ears perked up, and he turned to his sister.
“How much snow do you get? As much as Ismenios lands?”
“Not quite that much, but enough to play in.”
“Hmmm.”
Ares folded his arms and sank into thought.
“What’s he scheming this time?”
Still, wasn’t the countess just trying to steer the subject away?
At that moment, Callion, who had been quietly admiring the scenery, finally spoke.
“Countess Terraine, may I ask something?”
The countess hesitated for a moment.
Then, with polite composure, she smiled.
“Yes, Prince Alcyone. What is it?”
Callion pointed past the red mountains to some distant, bare peaks.
“Those mountains don’t have any autumn colors. Why is that?”
“Ah, those are mines. They yield bloodstone.”
“Bloodstone?”
“Yes. It’s a mineral that—”
She faltered again, looking at Callion.
Then, surprisingly, Minte stepped forward. The countess’s expression eased.
“It’s a green stone with crimson flecks, Prince Alcyone.”
“Seems it would be popular for ornaments.”
“No, it isn’t used for that purpose.”
Minte’s answer was firmer than usual.
Green with crimson flecks…?
“Ah! I saw that back in Charon!”
