Chapter 18

After five months had passed I found myself waking up in the middle of the night for no reason . I found it strange as it happened more frequently as of late and my irritation grew as dawn became my hour of awakening .

Ah, I woke up again .

Normally, if you wake up in the middle of the night sleep should immediately overcome you but for some reason, it didn’t come .

Ah, shoot .

My opened eyes just stared at the ceiling of the bedroom . As my eyes got used to the darkness I could make out words carved in the ceiling . It seemed to say ‘Royal 12th Palace’ . If I am wrong then whatever .

Ah, my body is feverish . Am I getting the flu?

Even I could feel my own body temperature was going up . I wanted to cry, but I had no energy to spare to even cry . As I nibbled on my finger and tried to turn my body, something hard got in my way .

What is this?

When I raised my head, it was Keitel of all people who was at the very front of my nose .

“Hguh!’

What is this? Why is he here…

Then I realized .

Oh yeah, this is Keitel’s bedroom .

I cursed at my own stupidity and slowly edged away from him .

I don’t want to get assassinated (rolled over) by him .

Anyway, whoever’s father this is he is very handsome .

For a moment, I forgot about my fever and I raised my empty hand (which I wasn’t sucking on) to lift the scattered hair on his forehead . I smirked as I lightly touched his long eyelashes . I guess even with the fever I still had energy left over to enjoy staring at his face .

Keitel’s sleeping face was different . I heard everyone’s sleeping face looked meek .

His face while sleeping really was meek . A sleeping Keitel was a small shock in its own way . It was my first time seeing him like this yet it didn’t feel like the first time . He still looked like a young boy . Looking at his boyish face made my heart ache .

Yup . He’s only twenty-six by Korean standards . He’s at the age where he would have finished the army, graduated from college and would have been ready to look for work . If he was the fast type, he could be a father but it was more likely he was still a kid just becoming independent .

When I thought this way I was able to let go . I still couldn’t adjust perfectly to this world but I realized Keitel was a man of that age .

“Forgibe yoush . ”

That’s right, I will forgive you .

All those times you talked so insensitively and all your clumsy actions, I will forgive it all at once with a large heart . I am twenty-five but I also don’t know much about babies, and if I was forced to take care of one I would have definitely been as clumsy as Keitel . That’s right . When I think of it this way I can understand your awkward actions until now .

I was a newbie at being a baby but he was also a newbie at being a dad . He had just met a life form called a baby how could he possibly know how to treat it? Just by looking at his attitude until now I know that he never once had an interest in babies before, not even as large as a fingernail .

To think that that kind of human has a baby…

“Stoopish . ”

I recalled what Cerera had told me before – that I only had this man . At first, I didn’t understand what she meant . ‘I think I get it now . I really only have this man .

“Papa . ”

I found Keitel’s sleeping hand and held it tightly . My hand was so small and white compared to his rough skin full of calluses . It looked pitiful so I didn’t dislike the rough texture of his hand .

He really was my dad .

I let out a small sigh . Even if I didn’t add on anything special this one fact it was enough for me .

The fact that he was my dad .

I once again realized that this was the parent-child bond . Even if you disliked their personality, the way they talked, the way they looked and hated the way they thought… A father is a father . It’s not something that can change just because I don’t like it . It’s that kind of thing . It was the same for him too . The child is the same . You can’t sell or change it because you don’t want it .

I am the one that needs to adjust . What else can I do? I need to deal with it .

However, now that I decided… Keitel, you need to be prepared . I am not your average innocent daughter at all . If you look down on me, the one who will end up hurt is you!

Okay, dad?

“Sleeping like the dead, as always . ”

Huh?

“Is he not sleeping, but dead instead?”

The voice I just heard now made me lose my breath for a moment .

This voice…

I quietly calmed my racing heart and looked over at the ceiling . The only thing I could see was the darkness in the room . In that dark room, an especially dark shape was there . No, it was a person .

Could-could it be? Another guest of the night?!

“Huh?”

The other side must have discovered me too . I tried to kill my breathing .

Can a person’s eyes glow in the dark? No, that was not the eyes of a human, but it doesn’t seem to be the vertical slit of a cat’s eyes either .

It was quite mysterious . No, it was frightening to the point that it overcame any curiosity .

“Oh?”

As I tried to kill the sound of my breathing, the black shape came towards me . I tightened my grip on dad’s hand .

Dad wake up, dad! This is an emergency! Your daughter looks like she is going to die soon! dad! Dad!

“Can you see me?’

‘Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō’ (This is a Buddhist mantra)…

It felt like the time mom caught me playing on the computer in the middle of the night or the time I sneaked into the kitchen to steal food at night and got caught red handed .

How can I describe this shivering thrilling feeling? I just cried inwardly .

Am I dead now? To think another night guest came to visit me . dad’s here but I am still going to die again . That’s right, my life is damned . That’s right, it’s damned! Even if you don’t force me to face it I already knew my life was damned from the start!

“No?”

What the hell, is it a ghost?

“Huh?”

Huh, what the fuck is huh . What the hell is wrong with this guy?

The night guest, whose face I couldn’t even see, simply crossed his arms . Then he let out a surprised voice as he wondered .

“…Can even talk . ”

Who in the world was he talking to? Was he simply mad?

The shadow didn’t seem to be a night guest, then logically speaking, it only leaves the option of he either a ghost or a lunatic . What were the chances of a lunatic breaking into the Emperor’s bedroom? So I guess he can only be a ghost . Is that right?

Seriously, am I not looking at a night guest who came to kill me, but a ghost instead?!

It was only a moment, but his eyes darkened .

“You can really see me . ”

The eyes suddenly zoomed in closer almost shocking me to death .

Agh! dad save me! Your daughter is going to be shocked to death!

“… . Are those words?”

Who the hell are you talking to?

“Huh? I am talking to you . ”

So who are you… Huh? Me?

I was so shocked I lost my breath for a second . I looked at him with a stupidly shocked expression . That guy, whose face I couldn’t make out wordlessly smiled and came closer .

Who, who, who… Who are you?!

“Huh? Me?”

We seriously understood each other . I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been more surprised at the fact he could understand my words or that he wasn’t a ghost .

“What are you going to do after you find out? Are you going to steam it and eat?”

What is he saying? His nonsense is an art .

As my face stiffened the approaching figure grabbed his belly and started laughing . I was shocked that the crazy laughter didn’t wake Keitel up .

Dad, your ears are useless .

“Ah, what the hell . It’s Keitel’s daughter . What are you doing here?”

I felt taken back at the fact he knew me . ‘Who was he?’

For some reason, it made me more nervous that he knew me . I made a face .

What are you going to do after you find out?

“Oh dear, you are already mad . ”

The guy came closer, sat near the bed and reached out to stroke my cheek . Unlike his big awkward hand, his hand felt soft and gentle, but I felt my skin crawl . ‘Hurry up and move your hand . ’

“Quite cute . ”

Who? Me? Well . Yes, I am quite cute . My cuteness is to the point I can conquer this planet . My ambition is to conquer the world with my cuteness… Not!

I clicked my tongue at my silliness when the soft laughter stopped . Then the eyes that shone blue in the darkness coolly let out a chill gleam .

“However, human child . How can you see me?”

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