Caine did not quite understand why the people of this world always insisted that he and Corellia were the same person.
Consequently, Caine had never truly considered himself to be Corellia.
He did not think of himself as Edwina’s ‘mother,’ nor did he see himself as Vita’s ‘older sister,’ and certainly not as the ‘Your Majesty’ that Altina spoke of.
Even though he had stopped trying to make them change how they addressed him, Caine always maintained a polite demeanor that was distinctly different from Corellia’s, rather than treating them like a superior would.
Caine was always polite and courteous; that was simply his personality.
However, that did not mean Caine was a pushover who would just endure everything.
He was polite mainly because he did not want to cause trouble for himself, but if things had already become troublesome, then there was no need for politeness.
Fine. Since Corellia said they were the same person, he would not hold back from now on.
Was it not just ‘his’ body in a translucent nightgown? Since ‘himself’ as the Queen was not shy, Caine, as a man, did not need to feel awkward either.
“…That is true. Since you put it that way, Corellia, let us leave it at that.”
After being left speechless by Corellia’s reasoning, Caine completely gave up on the idea of trying to make her wear something else.
Not only that, but his attitude toward Corellia shifted from the polite distance one shows a stranger to the casualness one shows ‘themselves.’
His tone became casual and cold, and he no longer felt the need to maintain a polite smile. His eyes no longer actively avoided Corellia’s voluptuous, sexy figure, which stood in stark contrast to her icy gaze and temperament.
If he viewed her as a completely different individual of the opposite sex, Caine’s heart would indeed race.
But seeing her as a speechless ‘other self,’ Caine’s heart rate quickly returned to normal.
It was not a big deal, really. It was just a normal conversation.
“…That is more like it. Being treated with that polite attitude only irritates me. So, what brings you to see me at this hour?”
Although Caine’s attitude had clearly become impolite, Corellia’s demeanor softened significantly. The strong sense of rejection she usually projected—that ‘don’t come near me’ vibe—lessened quite a bit.
She naturally tossed her long hair back over her shoulder, her ice-clear eyes gazing into Caine’s deep ones. Her thin, icy-blue lips parted naturally to ask what he wanted.
“…There are quite a few things to talk about. Let us start with our daughter. Corellia, you should be well aware that your level of concern for your daughter is insufficient. If Edwina is lured away by some strange man, do not you dare suddenly say something bastardly like, ‘Why did this happen? I clearly loved my daughter so much.'”
At this moment, Caine was no longer affected by her cold and elegant aura. Even facing the Queen herself, Caine did not care about her status and spoke bluntly about her lack of concern for her daughter.
“…Edwina has her own life. As long as it is her choice, whether she becomes a proper royal or runs off with some man, I will respect her decision. Is that all you have to say?”
The Queen’s expression did not even flicker at Caine’s warning. Her cold eyes, accented with icy-blue eyeshadow, did not even blink.
She simply stated her parenting philosophy, seeing absolutely nothing wrong with it.
After all, she was not a biological daughter but an adopted one. Moreover, Edwina was already sixteen years old, not a six-year-old in need of a mother around twenty-two to be constantly worried. If she insisted on looking at it that way, it was not exactly wrong.
Since she was prepared to not feel heartbroken even if Edwina ran off with some delinquent, Caine did not want to say anything more on the subject.
“…That was just the smallest matter. Do not be in such a hurry, Corellia. The night is still young.”
As he got into the rhythm, Caine’s tone and attitude became increasingly casual and cold, even carrying a hint of mocking banter.
Of course, even such rudeness did not cause Queen Corellia to so much as knit her brows.
“…Let us leave the matter of Edwina at that. Next is Vanessa. For some reason, that child does not believe you and I are the same person. Although I agree with her on that point, she is indeed hostile toward me and plans to do something… Looking at you, you probably know and are deliberately choosing to let it happen.”
It did not matter that Corellia’s expression did not change. Caine just continued talking about their other daughter at a leisurely pace.
It was true that Caine liked the distance he had when interacting with Vanessa, but he vaguely sensed that if Corellia did not intervene, Vanessa would eventually do something radical because of her extreme mother complex.
Caine did not think anything would happen to him; he did not have much to lose anyway. Having died once already, he did not have any treasures in this world.
He just wanted to know what the Queen, who claimed he and ‘herself’ were the same person, thought about Vanessa’s very obvious attitude.
“…There is nothing to say about Vanessa either. If she really does something, feel free to discipline her. Besides, she has not done anything yet.”
Regarding her other daughter, Corellia was still as cool as if she were talking about someone else’s business.
That ruthless appearance made it seem as if she were intentionally letting her daughter make a mistake so that Caine could discipline the girl, who was still in her developmental stage, in her stead.
If her goal was to let her daughter suffer early so she would not suffer later…
Then that attitude was barely justifiable.
Compared to the insecure Edwina, Vanessa did seem a bit overconfident. She even chose to confront him directly while believing him to be a fraud, rather than being polite on the surface while investigating and settling scores with him in secret.
Vanessa had been gaining confidence by playing in low-pressure situations; she really did need to experience a high-pressure one for a change.
At least, that was how Caine chose to interpret Corellia’s thoughts.
However, even if the matters regarding the two daughters were understandable, what about this next thing?
Facing the emperor-like coldness of the ice queen Corellia, the smile on Caine’s face also vanished as he coldly expressed the true purpose of his visit today.
“…So, regarding the matter of me being attacked during the night by a certain woman and left with a hickey… Corellia, do you know anything about that?”