Chapter 54 : Good Boy (1)

“Daughter, then Daddy will go to work now.”

“Yes.”

After letting go of me from his embrace, Dad hugged Mom once and ran toward his office.

It was really funny to see Mom freaking out, saying that Dad was sweaty.

I ran to Mom and hugged her again.

“Minno, let’s go inside now~”

“Yes! Mom, I’m going to do good deeds today.”

“Hmm?”

Mom looked at me as if wondering what I was suddenly talking about.

“I want to help people…!”

I clenched my tiny fists tightly to show my determination.

Seeing that, Mom gave me a warm smile.

“Then, our little princess is going to be busy today~?”

“Yes! Very busy!”

“Shall we go wash up first? Dad got sweat on you, so you might smell.”

“Hehe.”

I giggled and nodded at Mom.

She carried me and headed to our room.

My two older sisters were already gone somewhere, nowhere in sight.

They probably went off to play without me again.

Well, that’s fine.

I get to have Mom all to myself.

I couldn’t stop smiling as we walked.

When we returned to the room, the head maid scolded me.

“…Please, at least inform us before you go out.”

“…Yes, ma’am…”

“You haven’t had breakfast, have you?”

“I haven’t.”

When I said I hadn’t eaten, the head maid brought out a warm bowl of soup, steam rising from it.

“It’s cold outside, so I quickly changed the menu. Eat up.”

“Thank you!!”

“I made it myself this morning. I hope it suits your taste.”

The head maid’s cooking was always top-notch.

Since I was being a good kid today, I even ate all the vegetables.

“…What a surprise. You ate all the vegetables?”

“Hehe.”

“You really are trying to be a good kid today.”

“Am I?”

I puffed out my chest proudly, and Mom, who was sitting beside me, stroked my head.

Even though the head maid had carefully brushed my hair after my bath, it got all messed up again.

But I didn’t mind—it felt nice.

“I suppose today, you do need to be a bit of a good girl.”

“…Ahaha…”

I let out an awkward laugh, knowing exactly why she was saying that.

Since I had run away from home, she was telling me to make up for it by doing good deeds.

Later, I heard that all the servants had searched the entire castle under the head maid’s orders.

I felt really guilty.

Even the soldiers were being disciplined just because they had let me go so easily.

For the first time, it truly sank in—I was a princess of this country.

“I sincerely apologize….”

“It’s fine. You’re safe, and that’s what matters. Even my subordinates were relieved.”

“Yes.”

“Pronounce it properly. Say, ‘I am sorry,’ again.”

“Ugh.”

The head maid could be really strict sometimes.

In the end, I had to sit through a ten-minute lecture on how royalty should behave before she let me go.

Mom had to step in from behind, saying she was getting PTSD from it.

I heard that Mom was also from a commoner background, so she must have had a hard time.

Nodding to myself, I quietly slipped out of the room.

It was because the head maid had suddenly started scolding Mom.

“I should go help Grandma and Grandpa.”

Tap, tap, tap.

The cheerful sound of my footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in!”

After knocking on the elder’s room door, I struggled to push it open and stepped inside.

And then—

“Oh my! My dear granddaughter!”

“Whoa!”

“You should have told Grandma before you left!”

“Hehe…”

Grandma Lavender rushed over and hugged me tightly.

“Minno!”

“Hey, sis.”

“…You little rascal!”

“Huh?”

Sister Void pressed down hard on my head.

“Why did you write such a cryptic letter? You scared me!”

“S-Sorry, hehe.”

“Sigh…”

“Did you have fun at the festival?”

“Yeah, thanks to you, I got to talk to my younger sibling after a long time.”

Sister Void rubbed her arm with a bitter expression.

“I think I was too blindly focused on revenge all this time.”

At her words, Grandpa Heder, who was nearby, asked,

“Revenge? What revenge?”

Void shot him a glare before sighing in defeat.

“…This is so unfair.”

“What did you say, sis?”

“N-Nothing.”

Her cheeks turned red.

Sis, no… Please wake up.

I wanted to say that, but by then, her lips were already trembling, and her face was flushed.

There was no saving her.

She had already fallen for him.

“…Sis, good luck!”

“Huh? Minno? What do you mean by that?”

Judging by her reaction, she probably hadn’t even realized her own feelings yet.

I hoped she would figure them out soon.

Watching this felt like I was in the middle of a romantic comedy, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Oops, I almost got sidetracked.

The reason I came here wasn’t to watch an exciting romance unfold.

I came here to be a good kid today.

‘I hope someone gives me an errand to run.’

With that thought in mind, I just sat next to Void, who was working, and swung my legs back and forth.

But as time passed, no one asked me to do anything.

“Want a snack?”

“Yes!”

“My, you eat so well.”

Grandma Lavender gave me some snacks from time to time.

“Hmm, hmm, Minno, you’re here? Grandpa bought you a doll.”

“Wow~!”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes!”

Grandpa Surtr handed me a doll that looked exactly like me.

I noticed some yarn sticking out of his pocket, meaning he had definitely made it himself.

Grandpa Surtr wasn’t the most skilled, but I pretended not to notice and smiled innocently.

I was hoping he would give me an errand, but he just left afterward.

Then Grandma Anuket came in and handed me a delicious drink.

“Is it good?”

“Yes, it’s delicious!”

“This is a special homemade juice from Grandma. Drink it and stay healthy, okay?”

“Thank you…!!”

“Good. And don’t write any more cryptic letters.”

“…Hehe.”

“I’ll be going now~”

“Okay!”

The juice was really good.

It was even tastier than the purple spirit-flavored drink I had after I first hatched.

They looked similar, but this one tasted way better.

How fascinating.

Anyway, even Grandma Anuket didn’t give me an errand.

“…Sis, sis.”

“Hmm?”

Left with no choice, I tugged on Void’s cape while she was working.

I wanted to ask if she had anything for me to do.

“Do you have an errand for me?”

“Huh? An errand?”

“….”

I had come to the busiest place because I wanted to be a good kid, but no one was giving me any work to do.

Feeling a little disappointed, I gazed up at Sister Void with sparkling eyes.

“Nothing?”

“Uh, well… Mino? You’re still too young. A one-year-old running errands? No way.”

Boyd unnie gave me a bittersweet smile as she patted my head.

She wasn’t wrong.

But I’ve already surpassed my supposed age.

I mean, I died once and came back to life.

And even Boyd unnie herself is technically 800 years old after being revived.

“B-but I can do it…”

“No, Mino, you’re too young.”

No matter how much I insisted, it was pointless.

It was just a child’s stubbornness.

And since I knew that, I simply puffed up my cheeks and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Sorry, Mino.”

“…Hing.”

I felt a little sad.

Feeling empty and defeated, I trudged out of the elders’ room.

I wanted to be a good child and help out, but in the end, I only caused trouble and got in the way.

Feeling guilty, I bowed my head and walked away, my steps heavy.

“Am I… not a good child…?”

To be honest, I wasn’t even sure if I was really a child in the first place.

But let’s put that aside.

Right now, I’m living as Mino.

And technically, I am a baby.

As I kept walking down the hall, I suddenly ran into the head maid.

“…Your Highness?”

“…Head maid…”

Without thinking, I dashed forward and hugged her leg tightly.

I felt so sad, like a useless little creature that couldn’t do anything.

“…H-heuuk, I wanted to be a good child… but they said I can’t do any work…”

“Oh dear…”

The moment I burst into tears, the head maid smiled gently and scooped me up into her arms.

Her sharp, emotionless eyes softened into something warm.

“…There, there, it’s okay~ It’s okay~”

She patted my back with comforting hands.

Even though it was a bit embarrassing, I buried my face in her shoulder and cried for a few minutes.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…Y-yeah, thank you…”

I sniffled and nodded.

I really did feel better.

I was upset, thinking I was useless, but now I wasn’t so sad anymore.

“If you go see His Majesty now, I’m sure he’d be struggling with work.”

“…Huh?”

“So, do your best.”

The head maid smiled at me before bowing slightly and disappearing down the hallway.

“…Huh?”

I tilted my head in confusion, still sniffling.

Meanwhile, in the royal office…

Buried under a mountain of paperwork, Albinos looked like he was on the verge of death.

‘Did I use too much energy looking for Mino this morning…?’

If he had trusted Emila’s words a little more, he wouldn’t have worn himself out like this.

But when your adorable youngest daughter disappears, of course you’d worry.

“…It’s all because I’m an idiot… I’m sorry.”

He felt sorry for his wife and daughters.

He was weaker than his wife and even weaker than his youngest daughter.

Even though he had the title of Lord, he couldn’t just use it recklessly.

Slapping his own cheeks, Albinos grabbed his pen and tried to refocus on his work.

And at that moment—

“…Daddy… I’m here…”

His precious youngest daughter had come looking for him.