The Sol Palace (1)

Chirp, Chirp, Chirp.

I woke up with the sounds of the chirping birds and rays of sunlight hitting my face. Slowly, I opened my eyes, though it was a little blurry, I found myself in a luxurious bedroom. My vision became clear as time went by, so I decided to get up on the bed. However, I still have tails! Still, in shock, my head suddenly hurts. Argh, my head! It felt like it was going to split into two. Because of my sudden movement, I hit the glass beside me.

Crack!

Someone barged into the room as soon as the glass broke. At the time, I was in pain and terrified. Who was it? Was it the kidnapper? Or perhaps one of the humans who bought me?

"Brielle, finally, you're awake!" he said.

"Papa is here, so don't be afraid."

"Papa?!" It was, indeed, Papa. I hugged him tightly and sobbed uncontrollably. The pain I'd been feeling was nothing compared to the joy and comfort I'm feeling now that I'm with Papa. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see him forever and that I would be in the hands of cruel humans.

"Shhh, you did well Brielle. Cry all you want. Papa is here to dry up your tears."

"Uwahhhhhh!"

Today, she cried for the longest time.

She cried like a shower rain.

Tears stream down her cheeks, washing away the sting of life.

But she was neither sad

Nor afraid;

She was simply tired from bearing it all.

Once again, it rained.

***

I blew my nose into the handkerchief that Papa was holding. My eyes and nose were puffy red from crying for hours. And Papa has never left my side ever since.

"Would you like to eat?"

I nodded my head.

Papa reached the golden bell at the side table and rang it. A maid entered the room and asked what Papa wanted, then after that, she bowed and left. Wait. What?! A big room and maid? Am I dreaming?

"Papa, did we get rich?!""Huh? No."

"Then, how come we're in such a big house? And not only that, we have servants?"

"It is only for a short time until you recover."

"Explain it to me, Papa."

"Ian, the man you get to know in the Capital turned out to be the emperor, saved you from the fucking humans. When I arrived, you were in his arms, safe and sound. Then, he and his annoying son offered to let us live in his palace until you got well. They gave me this bell and instructed me to ring it if I needed something. Well, I can't deny it was quite useful. Also, it had been a week since you've been unconscious, so the Empress checked you up. And now you woke up."

"The Empress?!" I couldn't handle it all. Sir Ian is the emperor! And the empress treated me personally. This is crazy!

"Yeah. Why?" What 'Yeah. Why?' Max told me they are the royalties of the Empire. The above of all the humans. Ugh, well, what do I expect from Papa. He didn't care about it at all.

"No-Nothing," I replied. "Oh, how about Max? Did Max return safely?"

"Don't worry. After he woke me up, I dropped Max home. I didn't let him accompany me to the Theater though he kept on insisting. I was about to knock him off if he continued to insist..."

Oh, my! So many things happened. But I was grateful that none of them were harmed as a result of my actions. Back then, I thought I was going to die, but it's funny how everything seems to be returning to normal except for the house we're in. It was enormous and gleaming. On top of that, everything appeared to be expensive.

Knock, Knock.

"My Lord and My Lady, the food is ready. Do you want to serve it right now?"

"Yeah. Come in."

The delectable food was served on a bedside table by the servants. There were so many different types of foods that I had never seen before. Everything smelled good, and it made my stomach growl, which everyone in the room heard and smiled in. My face flushed with embarrassment.

"Get out," Papa yelled at the servants.

"Yes, My Lord," the servants agreed.

"Thank you for the food," I said before they left the room.

They replied, "You're welcome, My Lady," and went outside.

Papa fed me. Everything was delicious and left me wanting another bite, especially the colorful and fluffy desserts that melts inside my mouth. I couldn't bear the thought of wasting even a small portion of these foods, so I ate them all without leaving a trace.

"You ate well."

"Because the food is delicious!" I pointed out. Oh, I forgot to ask about my tail.

"Papa, my tail is still here. I couldn't revert it."

"For the meantime, you will remain in that form. There must be a stir on your mana when you feel emotionally stressed. Take your time; your legs will come back."

"Hmm-mhm," I should hurry up and heal myself so that I am not a burden to my father. But, first, I'd like to thank Sir Ian. No, I should not call him that. The emperor, yeah, like that—

"Brother, move your head. I couldn't see her!"

"Kye, you have a sword training class with Helden. Why are you here?!"

"I want to play with her—"

There are humans behind the slightly opened door. Are they arguing about something? Or maybe this is their room? It would be better to let them have it.

"Hey brats, why are you here again?" Papa, who narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms on his chest as he asked the humans behind the door.