Chapter 6

Ellie told me that the Emperor would never call Siervian unless it was for dinner. So today's meeting must have some purpose.

'But why is he upset?'

Siervian carefully read her father's mood. Thanks to the status window, she could make up for her mistakes.

'I have to do well.'

It was surprising that her father showed some concern when she got sick, but she didn't know when he would turn away from her again.

What happened in her previous life had yet to happen. If she continued to act like a good daughter, then maybe her fate could be changed.

"Why aren't you eating?"

At her father's prompting, Siervian looked at the snacks on the table.

It all looked so delicious.

She could tell even as she hadn't taken a bite yet. She knew they'd instantly melt in her mouth.

There were several types of chocolate madeleines and cookies, and there was a snow-like cream atop several cakes. The honeyed macarons glistened, tempting her effectively.

'Should I eat just one?'

She stared longingly at the delicious desserts, but then a status window suddenly popped up in her periphery. It was the Emperor's thoughts once again, still suspiciously soft and warm.

[ Alderuan Erveldotte ]

Thoughts: Aren't you a little too thin? Or is it because you're so cute that it makes my dear Siervian smaller in my eyes?

The small child in question read her father's thoughts, bewildered. Ellie said the same thing about her this morning, that she was too skinny.

'Maybe it's the clothes I'm wearing.'

Before, she would always be wrapped up in weird clothes that were more like layered fabric masquerading as a dress, as if to make her look bigger.

Today, she wore a light dress with simple frills, so it was no wonder that she looked smaller than before.

'But I'm not allowed to eat snacks.'

The desserts all looked so delicious. It wasn't easy to resist her young instinct's urge to gobble them all up.

Sarah never allowed Siervian to eat snacks in her previous life.

The first time she ever ate anything sweet was at her pre-debutante celebration at the age of fourteen, and she still hadn't forgotten the taste.

'After that, a rumor arose that I couldn't eat sweets at all.'

To be more precise, there were just too many eyes watching her at the banquet hall that it made her feel uncomfortable. If she acted out of line just once, even a little bit, the news would immediately reach the Empress, and she'd definitely become the center of attention, in a bad way.

"If you don't like it, I'll have something else brought out."

"Ummm."

". . ."

[ Alderuan Erveldotte ]

Mood: Surprised by ♡ my daughter's ♡ new look

Thoughts: I can't believe you even answer so cutely. As expected of my daughter.

What was that just now?

As Siervian shifted her gaze towards the snacks, she thought about the past. She couldn't understand why her father's thoughts were like this.

The Emperor reached out to change the plate of desserts in front of Siervian. Misunderstanding that he was about to take it from her, she shouted.

"N-no!"

"No?"

"Are you going to twell Sarah?"

"Hm? What? About what you're eating?"

"Yeah."

[ Alderuan Erveldotte ]

Favorability: +100

Favorability: +100

While his daughter was nervously keeping her head down, one corner of the Emperor's lips raised up ever so slightly. It was because it was so cute how his daughter was being too shy to eat in front of others. It was only after he composed his features again that he spoke.

"I'm not going to tell her, so just eat."

She was already given permission, but she still hesitated.

Ellie told her that it was a lie that the Emperor tested her last time. But because of the education and conditioning she received that was so deeply ingrained in her, she couldn't help but still be conscious about the intent behind her father's words.

'Just one. No, maybe two.'

Siervian glanced sideways at the plate of colorful macarons, pretending that she wasn't too interested, yet couldn't take her eyes off it. When the Emperor noticed this, he pushed the plate closer to her.

Then, her little hand moved by itself and picked one up.

The yellow macaron, which she thought would be hard, melted in her mouth as soon as she took a bite.

'It's sweet . . .'

It was sweet enough that the tip of her tongue almost couldn't take it. After taking one bite, she sneaked a look towards her father.

Crunch.

[ Alderuan Erveldotte ]

Favorability: +100

This made her wonder if she was still allowed to eat more, so she carefully took another bite.

Crunch, crunch.

[ Alderuan Erveldotte ]

Favorability: +100

Favorability: +100

Read his status window, take a bite of macarons, then repeat again and again.

As she ate like that, before she knew it, she had already finished four macarons.

'No way.'

Eyes almost overflowing with tears, she turned to her father reflexively to see his reaction. She didn't mean to eat this much.

Meanwhile, the Emperor, who was mesmerized by the way Siervian's cheeks moved as she chewed, pushed forward what he'd been preparing for a while.

It was the cake that Siervian was staring at earlier, the snow-covered one.

"Hum, hum.* Eat with this."

{ tl/n: he's coughing. }

Holding something like a short iron baton in one hand, the Emperor flicked it in the direction of the small plate.

"Huh?"

Not knowing what it was for, water that sparkled with sugar rose up in the air, glowing as it did. Little by little, the sugar water froze and soon clung to the iron bar, taking the shape of the upper part of a fork.

"I heard you have to eat this cake while it's cold."

His voice was still strict as usual, and normally Siervian would have flinched at his harsh tone, but this time it was different.

"Uwah . . ."

She covered her gaping mouth in amazement, not conscious of her actions.

The cake was a type of dessert that she'd only