"Siervy."
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: Why aren't you answering? Maybe you don't want me calling you that way? No, our pretty Siervian won't think like that. I knew it, if it's a different nickname…
Ah, Siervian's ears didn't deceive her. Her father really called her with that nickname.
It sounded awkward on his tongue and it didn't seem like an affectionate nickname at all. Still, it was leagues different from how the Empress said it pretentiously earlier. Siervian wondered why.
"Yees."
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Favorability: +100
Favorability: +100
Favorability: +100
In any case, the Emperor called her, so she answered calmly as she clutched the skirt of her dress awkwardly.
Come to think of it, Siervian remembered that Ellie was going to fix her wardrobe today.
"Chamberlain. Bring in what was prepared."
Siervian was just standing there, not knowing what to do, but as she heard her father's sudden command, her eyes widened.
The chamberlain appeared as though he had been waiting all this time and placed many snacks at the table in front of where they were sitting.
"Eat first before you go."
As her father gestured towards the chair, Siervian returned to her seat as if she'd been possessed. It was still a big, very high chair for her.
Whimpering as she reached up, she suddenly found herself lifted into the air.
"Ah…"
"…It looked like you were struggling. Don't be scared."
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Favorability: +100
When she was carried to the chair right then, she could finally see the table. The snacks looked different from what she saw in the Emperor's private garden last time.
'Is that a pie?'
The savory but not too overwhelming scent flowed into her nose.
The yellow pumpkin pie was shiny because of the caramelized sugar on top. And there was a glass of milk next to it that was a little darker than usual. Was it soy milk?
She expected that she'd eat macarons again today, so when she saw the table, she was gobsmacked.
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: I told them to prioritize nutrition because you're still a child. You don't like it?
"I guess you don't like any of these."
Siervian realized that her father's inner thoughts were similar to Ellie's. That must be why the snacks, which were once full of sugar, had changed.
The Emperor observed Siervian's small face as she gaped at the table, then he frowned.
"Uh-uh. I don't diswike anything."
It's not that she hated anything, just that she had never tried it before. She picked up a fork that was a little too heavy for her small hand.
"Then, which one is your favorite out of all of these?"
"I haven't twied them yet."
"..."
Siervian's hands wriggled a bit as she looked back at him with a questioning gaze.
She actually didn't know the names of the other food except for the pie. Perhaps they were different kinds of bread, so should she just eat them? But which one should she choose? All of them were in such big portions that she didn't think she could eat more than one.
"Which one do you want to eat? I'll cut it up into small pieces for you."
"Umm, there's too many."
What she meant was that there was too much in front of her. However, the Emperor interpreted this differently and immediately conjured his mana.
"Ah…"
Soon after, each snack had been cut up into pieces and one of each was placed in front of her. They were exactly the size a child could bite.
"From now on, I'll make sure you can eat whatever you want."
This was so good to hear. Would Ellie also be able to eat as much as she wanted without worrying about it?
"Even macawons?"
"Yes."
While she was sleeping, she dreamed about the macarons that she couldn't eat back then. Her favorite was the chocolate-flavored one that was slightly bitter on the outside, so she'll be sure to ask if she can eat it later.
"Siervy."
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: It's all my fault.
Siervian had been thinking hard about what to eat first, then she looked up.
An unfamiliar sadness from the status window was the first thing she saw. Her father called her by the nickname again, and she purposely looked into his eyes as she answered.
"Yees."
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Favorability: +100
With a deep gaze, Alderuan looked back at his daughter, then he raised his hand carefully. His big hand caressed her hair very lightly, then let go again.
"Eat a lot."
It was very warm.
After sending Siervian back to the Princess' Palace, Alderuan called Hex to his office. He wanted to hear about the investigation that he directly ordered to be conducted.
'It wasn't just a feeling that she's too thin.'
Alderuan felt a rage of anger—towards no one but himself. How could he have been so foolish as to not notice any of this happening?
He couldn't say anything to excuse his actions. Siervian was still afraid of him whenever he tried to speak to her.
'Even after all of this, she isn't crying. It's harder to see her like that.'
Back then, he wanted to see for himself if she was doing well, so he would visit her more than once a week. Sometimes, he had called her over for dinner as an excuse, but she often ran away after just seeing the food at the table.
This was all the doing of the previous maid who was raising Siervian.
'Not only was Siervian scolded for eating a lot, but she was also brainwashed to be afraid of me.'
Ellie, the new head maid in charge of Siervian, was only a temporary measure, but it seemed that Siervian was quite attached to her.
Alderuan thought that she was definitely an accomplice, so he was going to get rid of her as well. However, the maid surprisingly showed how sincerely she cared for the Princess.
'She recognized who it is that treats her sincerely. Siervian is very smart because she resembles me.'
Siervian had eventually reached out to him first. However, when she said to keep the food she ate a secret, he had only thought of this as cute.
'I should have looked into it back then. It was strange that she had to say that.'
He couldn't even guess just how long Siervian had suffered. He made a vow that he would take better care of her from now on.
"Your Majesty."