It’s been almost half a year since I’ve been with Hikan.
Dalia still continued her desperate love attack against Hikan. She was still a little, a little bit scared, but……he hasn’t been as sharp on her as he used to be since what happened in his study.
But recently, she also has a concern.
She had no more ideas.
She has to keep showing off her image as the kind, innocent and foolish younger sister, but her lack of imagination now hit the limit.
She secretly went to the butler.
“What do I do to make my brother happy?”
The butler looked at her pitifully and squatted down in front of her.
“Even now, Miss Dalia is doing well enough.”
……I think I bought the butler’s delicate heart.
Dalia gave up asking him more questions.
This time, Dalia visited the Duchess Blueport. She greeted Dalia with a warm smile.
“What should you do for your brother?”
Dalia nodded eagerly. The Duchess was pleased with her response.
“This is much better than asking how to create a secret fund like last time, Dalia.”
“……Hehe.”
Dalia laughed, gently scratching the back of her head. Duchess Blueport pondered for a moment and spoke to the servant.
“Bring me a pen and some paper.”
Duchess Blueport wrote Dalia a document and gave it to her. Then she explained to Dalia, whose eyes were wide open.
In order for Hikan to become a real Duke of Pesteros, the approval of another transcendent was required. Another transcendent who will prove that he’s not crazy and has a sound mind
That’s what Duchess Blueport has done for Dalia now.
“N-no!”
Dalia stopped her in surprise.
Knowing the future, she knew that Hikan would never be able to think straight, even for a joke. That could have put the Duchess in a difficult situation for her approval.
“It’s all right. It’s a formality and it doesn’t mean much.”
Duchess Blueport smiled and handed out the documents to Dalia.
“I hope this will make your relationship with your brother better.”
In fact, it was not necessary to get along, but Dalia was about to cry because she was really grateful for the Duchess’s heart for thinking of her.
However, it took some courage to return home and give it to Hikan.
Suddenly using her brain for no reason, what if he gets suspicious?
She held it out to Hikan, hesitating.
“Brother! I did a good job, didn’t I? The Duchess of Blueport is an old friend of mine…”
“I was approved by His Majesty the Emperor yesterday. I don’t need this.”
“……”
Come to think of it, Hikan was close to the emperor in the original book. Of course, since the emperor is also a transcendent, he could have made a document that would confirm him as a duke.
Dalia was really depressed.
“…… I’m sorry. I thought you’d like it…..”
Hikan, who looked at it, coldly snatched the paper out of her hand.
“But this might be useful for something else. Get out of here.”
What is that useful thing?
Dalia was worried that Hikan might be trying to use the Duchess’s signature for other dangerous things.
It’s not a guarantee, is it?
But it didn’t seem like the family had no money.
In addition, the butler once told her that Pesteros did not need the signature of another head of the family for most things except for the recognition of the transcendent.
‘So where are you going to use it then?’
Dalia became anxious and peeked through the door gap looking at Hikan doing the paperwork.
‘Huk’
He was staring at the papers, chewing his lips so gently that she wondered if he was okay.
People might think that you didn’t ask for it, but forced it to take it.
Then he sighed and threw the document on the back of the book.
Still, for some reason, she was anxious, and when Hikan was not there, she went into the library and secretly took the documents given by the Duchess Blueport back.
Strangely, Hikan seemed unaware that the Duchess’s documents were missing. If so, she doesn’t know why he asked for it from the beginning.
* * *
Contrary to the Duchess Blueport’s wishes, Hikan remained indifferent to Dalia after that.
But maybe it’s because Hikan hasn’t done anything to her or anyone else yet. Dalia felt a little less afraid of Hikan.
While in a daze with her own thought, Dalia’s door suddenly burst open.
“Kyaa!”
“……It’s me.”
The tiger appeared when he was spoken of, and it was Hikan. (*t/n: it’s a korean saying that means when you talk about someone, he(she) will appear.)
It was the first time he had visited her room. Dalia looked at Hikan with her eyes wide open.
“What’s the matter, brother?”
Hikan spoke expressionless as usual.
“His Majesty the Emperor has approved the request for an audience.”
He was the last gateway for Hikan to become a Duke.
Instead of the previous Duke, the Emperor leads him to the title of the Duke. For that reason, it seemed that the application for a meeting a few days ago had finally been approved.
That’s a good thing, but were we even in a relationship close enough to talk about that? Dalia blinked quickly, bewildered.
“……Congratulations?”
Did he feel Dalia’s eyes saying, ‘Did you come to tell me that?’? Hikan added:
“He asked you to come with me. Imperial Palace, 12 o’clock the day after tomorrow. Get ready.”
“M-me too?”
“Yes.”
It’s Hikan who will get a title, then why her too?
But Hikan was urging her to answer with his eyes. She nodded her head without realizing it.
Hikan left the room as soon as he heard the answer he wanted. She really hated it whenever he did that.
‘Go out and fall down, fall down.’
Dalia prayed hard, but nothing happened as usual.
Anyway, it was the Emperor’s order.
She called her nanny and said she was going to the Imperial Palace the day after tomorrow. The nanny was startled and made a fuss about buying a dress.
Two days later.
Dalia wore a pink lace dress to go to the Imperial Palace.
The light gray hair was braided in several braids, tied up, and fixed with ribbon pins.
Ribbon? It’s a style she will never try even if she died in her previous life, but the 13-years old Dalia, is cute and lovely no matter what she did.
A clear sea-colored pupil, same as Hikan, stared at Dalia in the mirror.
“You’ll be a real beauty when you grow up.”
The nanny said, gently sweeping Dalia’s cheek. Dalia thought of the ordinary appearance of her previous life and nodded in agreement. This is a face full of potential.
‘The question is whether I can survive until then.’
Hikan had already come out in front of the carriage and was waiting for her. It was a little unexpected that he waited without getting on the carriage.
She gave a beautiful smile.
“Thank you.”
Of course you won’t hold my hand, will you?
Dalia took the coachman’s hand and climbed up. Then Hikan looked at her for a moment and followed her into the carriage.
“So, why did I get called too, brother?”
But instead of answering, Hikan looked out the window all the way. Her hands were full of strength when she grabbed the handle in case something bad happened.
Dalia seemed to have heard an ominous thud from the handle.
Why did I feel bad again?
She grumbled inside and looked out of the window like Hikan.
They arrived at the Imperial Palace shortly. When getting off, the Hikan who was near the door got off first. She got off holding the coachman’s hand as she did when she got on.
……For some reason, it seemed that Hikan took one step back. Is he also nervous about being at the Imperial Palace?
“……Follow me quickly, Dalia.”
His lowered voice seemed to reflect his discomfort. So, the two entered the Imperial Palace along the path guided by the imperial staff.
“You’re here.”
The Emperor, who has his back turned, turned slowly.
Alexandro Duncan Michelio II, the current emperor.
He’s a young emperor, just in his mid to late 30s. With a beautiful appearance with blond hair and red eyes, he is also a transcendent who appeared in the original.
He is not one of the male leads because he loved the empress very much and is old.
His ability is to read a person’s emotions through physical contact.
At the same time, he can read out the kindness or malice he or she harbors.
Naturally, politics doesn’t work for him. Even in the work, he appears as a person who can’t guess the inside out. He was one of the characters who maintained his rationality until his death because of his excellent self-control.
Dalia greets the Emperor using the imperial court etiquette she learned from her tutor.
The Emperor’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Yes, I’ve seen a lot on one side……and I’ve never seen this side before. Miss Dalia Pesteros?” (*t/n: not sure about this one)
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t be so formal. Isn’t Miss Dalia also a Pesteros? Of course I thought you deserved to come to the Pesteros’s ceremony, so I called for you.”
Such a gracious talk.
Dalia smiled lightly and lowered her knees slightly. The Emperor laughed while watching her.
“Yes, how’s your one and only brother? Does he treat you well?”
Her gaze inadvertently reached Hikan.
He wasn’t even looking at her in the first place. Things that have happened have passed through her head. A lot has happened in four months.
‘I can’t say I’m not a bad person here……’
Dalia forced a smile.
“Yes, he’s good. Since he’s really my one and only brother……I rely on him a lot.”
“Hmm. Maybe because you don’t know fear. He’s not exactly the right person to rely on.”
“……”
Hikan stood silently. The back of Dalia’s head suddenly itches for no reason.
“Well, it’s a blessing to have a cute younger sister anyway. My siblings won’t be able to put up with it.”
Perhaps not expecting an answer, the Emperor smiled and called Hikan closer.
Hikan quietly went closer.
The Emperor handed him a document bearing the imperial seal, which seemed to have been prepared by his aide. And without sincerity, without even putting his hand on, Hikan was blessed on his shoulders and forehead.
“Now, you are the Duke of Pesteros.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m behind in my work, so let’s get it done quickly. And our Miss Dalia? You come here, too.”
“Ye-yes.”
Dalia went and stood awkwardly in front of the Emperor. The emperor smiled, held his chin, and looked at Dalia with a smile.
“How did you come to be loved by such a cute and lovely sister, Hikan?”
“……You flatter me.”
Dalia withdrew slightly.
The Emperor smiled involuntarily.
“Others may not know, but the life of the transcendent is originally solitary and lonely. Miss Dalia must have been comforting Hikan’s heart unknowingly.”
“Your Majesty.”
The sound of Hikan clenching his teeth can be heard from behind. But the emperor smiled and said,
“Such a thing, I feel it, too.
“……It’s a delusion, Your Majesty.”
Hikan refuted right away.
“Well. Let’s just see.”
Dalia only looked at the emperor, not understanding what their conversation meant. She just thought that he was saying something similar to what the Duchess Blueport once said.
The Emperor smiled and extended his hand as if asking Dalia to shake hands.
“Thank you for coming far, despite my whim, Miss Dalia.”
The Emperor always shakes hands when the audience is finished.
It is said that it is to create a light atmosphere instead of formality, but in reality it is to read the other’s feelings through this.
She can’t refuse the Emperor’s handshake.
Dalia had nothing to lose, so she held his hand together.
She held the hand lightly and shook it. It was time to let go of the hands naturally.
“……”
But no matter how long she waited, the Emperor’s hand did not leave her.
Taken aback, she looked slowly up at the Emperor.
The Emperor was looking down at his hand as if he could not believe it.
