Chapter 70: Living Together Forever

Chapter 70: Living Together Forever [Lavinia’s POV] "...Papa..." I launched myself onto the bed like a missile of love and pure cuteness. THUMP! I scrambled up the edge like a tiny, determined climber and flopped beside him with dramatic flair. Papa blinked in surprise just as I began my signature move— ROLLLLLLL... ROLLLLLL... And then—hug attack! "Got you!" I giggled, throwing my arms around him. Papa let out a quiet chuckle and returned the hug with that rare, warm smile of his. "Well, someone’s full of energy tonight." I nuzzled into him and beamed. "Yup! I feel super-duper fresh! I’m gonna sleep with you after sooooo long!" His arms tightened slightly around me, his voice gentle. "Is that so?" "Mhm!" It was the truth. It had been ages since I got to sneak into bed with Papa. Okay, maybe just a few weeks, but that’s practically forever in baby time. His smile stretched a little wider, softening his usually serious face. It was the kind of smile that made him look younger, almost like a regular father and not the terrifying emperor whose glare could silence an entire courtroom. He looked... human like this. But then, that fleeting smile started to fade. His brow creased again, like something heavy had crawled back into his mind. I tilted my head, poking his cheek. "Papa, why do you look mad again? Did a noble say something dumb?" He blinked, clearly caught off guard. "...Why would you think that?" I rolled my eyes like the little genius I was. "Because whenever you meet a noble, you look like you’re five seconds away from drawing your sword." He was quiet for a beat. Then: "...That’s because they do say dumb things." I knew it! See, even a toddler like me could read him like a picture book. Everyone in the palace knew Papa had a deep, undying hatred for most nobles—and his sword had a dangerously short temper. He patted my head gently. "But you don’t need to worry about them. I’ll take care of everything." I smiled and snuggled in closer. "I know." That’s why I loved being near Papa. He made the whole world feel smaller. Safer. As long as he was around, nothing scary could touch me. "Let’s live together forever, okay?" I whispered. "Just you and me." He froze for a moment. Then, slowly, he pulled back to look at me. "You want to live with me forever?" he asked quietly. Huh? Why did he sound surprised? Isn’t that obvious? "Of course!" I said with a big grin, throwing my arms open wide. "I’ll live with Papa for a very, very, very long time!" His expression softened, the corners of his eyes crinkling. But then... he said something strange. "What about when you get married?" "...Huh?" What kind of left-field nonsense was that? I blinked at him like he’d just spoken in whale. "Marriage?" I echoed. "What’s that got to do with anything?" He gave a small, serious nod. "You’ll grow up someday. You’ll fall in love. Get married. Move away..." His voice sounded oddly grumpy. Wait! What! Excuse me! What kind of nonsense is he uttering, and why does he seem mad now? "Marriage means living together, doesn’t it?" I asked cautiously. He nodded, slow and cautious. "Yes." But the way he said it... something felt off. His jaw was tight. His eyes narrowed. Uh-oh. For some reason, talking about this topic made him look ready to flip a banquet table. Wait a second... could it be? I grinned to myself, quietly giddy. No way. Is my father already jealous at the idea of me getting married? He’s acting like I’ve already eloped with a noble’s son and disgraced the family. He might actually explode if I mention someone else holding my hand. Anyway...I can’t let him get pissed for a long time. So...I know exactly what I have to do. Then, I flashed my brightest, most brilliant smile—the kind that could melt even imperial ice. "Then I’ll just marry you, Papa!" Silence. Absolute, stunned silence. Papa blinked once. Then twice. He stared at me like I’d just declared war on the Empire using a plushie as my sword. "You’ll... what?" "I’ll marry you!" I repeated proudly, puffing out my little chest like a brave soldier reporting for duty. "Then we can live together forever! Problem solved!" His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. For a moment, the terrifying tyrant who ruled the Elarion Empire looked like he’d been hit with a rainbow. And then—slowly, gently—he reached out and patted my head. "Alright," he said, his voice low and warm. I giggled and snuggled into his side with a satisfied hum. Now, he wasn’t mad anymore. In fact... he looked happy. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of his lips—not smug or forced or annoyed, but soft. Soft in a way that made my chest feel all warm and fizzy, like I’d just swallowed a cup of sunshine. "It’s time to sleep," Papa said, shifting slightly as he laid me down beside him, pulling the thick blanket over us like a shield against the rest of the world. Then he turned and hugged me close. "Hehe..." I let out a sleepy giggle. "So warm..." I missed this. I really, really missed this. His warmth, his smell, and the way his heartbeat felt like a lullaby. It was the kind of comfort I’d only get from him. "Do you feel good?" he asked, his voice low and gentle as he began to pat my head with one of those big, warm hands of his. "Uh-huh," I mumbled, half-buried in his chest. "Papa is soooo warm. "Your hands feel like a warm sun during the cold winter..." He let out a quiet chuckle. "Is that so? I guess I’ll take that as a compliment." "It is a compliment," I insisted, eyes half-lidded. "I feel like I’m sleeping on clouds that smell nice." "Now, you’d better sleep now," he said, amused. "Otherwise, you won’t be able to wake up tomorrow, and your nanny will blame me." "I promise I’ll wake up..." I yawned, snuggling even closer. "Eventually..." Papa leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "Good night, my baby girl." I smiled, already floating in that hazy space between dreams. But I managed to wriggle my way up enough to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Dream about me, Papa," I whispered like it was a royal decree. He chuckled again, his hand gently patting my head. "Alright. Now go back to sleep." "Yes...," I murmured. As his fingers threaded through my hair in slow, comforting strokes, my body relaxed completely. The world grew quieter, softer, as if wrapping me in cotton. My mind began to slip away into that warm, cozy void called sleep. Yeah... today was a really nice day. *** The next morning the sun was bright, the garden was breezy, and I—Lavinia Devereux, princess of the Elorian Empire —was in a very serious negotiation. Holding my precious little basket of cookies, I pointed a firm, crumb-covered finger at the suspiciously round ball of fluff sitting in front of me. "Now, Marshi... this is the last one. No more after this. I mean it," I declared with the solemnity of a judge about to pass a royal sentence. Marshmallow blinked at me with his big sparkly eyes, wiggled his pink nose... and chomped the cookie right out of my hand. I gasped. "Hey—! You didn’t even savor it!" But before I could scold him properly, he waddled up and—sniff sniff sniff—shoved his greedy little face right into my cookie basket. I yanked it back. "No! You cannot! You are already turning into a sugar piglet. Too many sweets will make you slow and squishy." He let out a dramatic little huff, turned around with his fluffy butt in the air, and flopped down like a betrayed noble. Ravick and Marella, who were standing nearby, both chuckled like traitors enjoying a show. "I swear," I muttered, glaring at Marshmallow’s marshmallow-shaped body, "where did he learn to be such a proud, lazy, food-obsessed beast?" Marella raised a brow with a grin and said way too cheerfully, "Of course, from you, Princess." "...Hah?" "They say pets pick up their owner’s habits, and well—" she gestured delicately at me, "—you do spend most of your day lying around like a royal pancake while consuming sweets like it’s your only duty." I gasped, clutching my cookie basket as if she’d just insulted my bloodline. Ravick chuckled, and worse, I heard even more chuckles—low, muffled ones—from the bushes around the garden. I flinched and felt like betrayal. Treason. I narrowed my eyes at Marella, lips twitching into a devilish smile. "Marella~ Should I tell Papa what you just said to me?" I asked sweetly. Her face drained of color faster than a noble hearing tax season was early. "N-no, Princess! Please have mercy!" I giggled like the mischievous little empress-in-training I was. "He might even cancel your extra bonus privileges~" "NOOOOO—!!" Victory was mine. Just then, I felt Marshmallow’s cold nose poking my leg again. He was sniffing the basket like a criminal trying to charm the jury. "Marshi!" I yanked it away. "I already said no more! These ones are for Osric." Marshi let out the saddest sigh in divine history and collapsed again with a dramatic thump, like he was done with this cruel world. And right in the middle of that emotional performance— "Good morning, Princess." I blinked and turned—and promptly found myself looking up at Grand Duke Regis. "Grand Duke Regis," Marella and Ravick both bowed slightly. I stared at him and then the duke knelt down in front of me. His eyes flicked from me to Marshmallow, then back. "Are you feeding cookies... to your divine my princess?" he asked in that calm and polite voice. I squinted suspiciously at Marshmallow. The little traitor huffed at me and turned his fluffy butt toward us in protest. "...Yes," I finally said, crossing my arms. "I tried to sympathize with him by feeding him two cookies that I specifically ask to make for Osric. But now he’s asking for more." Grand Duke Regis blinked in surprise. "You asked to make special cookies... for Osric?" "Yes," I said proudly, puffing my chest out. "I even didn’t taste-test them myself!" He was quiet for a moment, then gave a rare, gentle smile and reached out to pat my head. "Well done, Princess. I hope the two of you continue to grow closer." ... Huh? Wait, what? That sounded normal—but why did he say it like he was plotting something? I narrowed my eyes as he stood up and dusted off his cloak. "Then... I shall take my leave, Princess." "...Okay," I replied. He turned and walked away. And—there it was. The smirk. That mischievous smile creeping onto his face like he’d just witnessed a prophecy unfold or pulled a very complicated prank. Goosebumps crawled up my arms. Is it just me... or is he kind of weird? Then again, no one in this empire is sane. Not the divine beast. Not the knights. Definitely not Papa. And especially not Grand Duke Shady Smile Regis.