Chapter 28 (2/2)
“What?” his face fell at the sudden change of topic.
“As a child, you lived apart from your parents, and you fell from a tree when you were seven. Did your grandmother raise you?”
The atmosphere became tense. At last, realizing what I was talking about, the man’s eyes grew wide.
“Ah, it’s unfortunate that your mother passed away like that.”
He turned pale and froze, “How, how did you…?” It must’ve been terrifying that a child whom he had just met could know so much about his past.
‘Count Douglas.’ Duke Ravenhook’s subordinate, and one of the men who had tried to woo Priscilla. He had tried to convince her to marry him using the fact that she was being abused. I was repeating the exact words he had said to Priscilla to make her sympathize with him.
I made no attempt to hide my contempt as I looked straight at him, “How unfortunate for a young man like yourself.” The fear in his eyes was plain to see. I smiled again, “Let’s go back, Luci.” I took her hand and turned around, but Count Douglas grabbed my arm.
“Saintess!” Luciana rushed over to protect me.
“You… you…!”
I glanced down at the arm that Count Douglas was clutching onto. It hurt slightly, but I only had one thought: ‘What a shame!’ If only this was the Holy Empire! I could send him away for simply touching me because I was a messenger of God!
Grabbing my arm, he glared at me in silence. “What? Do you have something to say to me?” I asked. Luciana pushed him away and pulled me into her embrace.
At that moment, a stern voice cut through the air. Miltiades appeared before us, “What’s going on here?”
“Your… Your Majesty,” everyone but me went down on one knee as he approached. I remained standing and gazed at him. His emotionless, golden eyes scanned around before resting on me.
“Does anyone care to explain why my daughter is here?”
No one was brave enough to offer a reply.
“That man insulted the saintess!” one of the nobles who had gossiped about me suddenly shouted.
“Count Claven!”
“And he even grabbed her arm!”
Panicking, Count Douglas quickly got down on both knees, “That’s… that’s not true, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean to…”
“Insult her?” Miltiades asked coldly.
“He was trying to delude us into thinking that the saintess is an imposter.”
A beautiful smile spread across Miltiades’s face. That usually meant something big was about to unfold.
“How funny. Keep going,” said the emperor, his voice full of malice.
“That… that’s not it. I was just worried for Your Majesty.”
“Worried?”
“I thought the Holy Empire was playing a trick on you…”
“That’s your excuse?”
Count Douglas quickly bit his tongue. Miltiades looked at me once and said decisively, “I don’t think he needs a tongue that spouts nonsense.”
No way.
“Callian, pull out Count Douglas’s tongue.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Callian approached Count Douglas, preparing to take him away.
“Your Majesty… Your Majesty!” Count Douglas pleaded, his voice becoming desperate.
I didn’t like him, but I thought this was a bit too much. He was stupid enough to be useful, but I wouldn’t be able to use him if his tongue was cut off!
“Daddy!” I smiled widely, running over to Miltiades’s side. He picked me up. “I’m fine,” I said.
I could tell he was worried that I was hurt. I smiled again, and his mouth loosened.
“But Daddy, are you really going to pull out his tongue?”
“…”
That’s right, my dad never changed his mind once he made a decision. I gazed into his eyes.
“Don’t you like my punishment?” he asked me.
“Can’t you just make him write a reflection that he’ll never do it again?”
At my words, Callian laughed, and so did the other nobles. They thought my punishment was more suitable for a child. But I was being sincere.
“Is a reflection enough?”
“Hm, isn’t it?” I blinked, and Miltiades studied me for a while with a displeased expression.
“How about three thousand reflections?” I offered. His wrist and back would be burning after writing three thousand reflections.
I smiled again, but Miltiades retorted in a stern voice, “Thirty thousand reflections.”
“…”
“Write your reflections by hand, and make sure nothing is repeated.”
Relief washed over Count Douglas’s face. Miltiades looked down at him as if he was a bug, “Tell Enoch to watch over him.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Callian dragged Count Douglas out of the room.
“You’re the only one I have!” Satisfied, I hugged Miltiades tightly, but he seemed upset for some reason.
After that day, none of the nobles objected to me as the princess. Rumors also began circulating that touching me would bring bad luck—that Miltiades would do anything in his power to bring misfortune to anyone who did so.
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