Born As The Emperor’s Daughter - Chapter 181

Her father still hasn’t told her to leave the office yet as they still have to discuss something. Alexandra remained in her seat and listened to what her father was going to say.

“Since you are going to attend the ball for your brother’s 18th birthday, you need an escort. Your personal knight can’t be your escort, it would be better if it was one of your brothers. Maybe Chandler, Christian, or Gilbert could. Calixander is going to make his entrance all alone,” Was what her father said as he leaned back on his seat, his legs still crossed yet his shoulders were stiff and tense as if he was troubled or something. Well, yeah, it could be better if her escorts are one of her brothers. But…

Alexandra opened her mouth to speak, “Then what about you, father? Are you going to escort someone?” She asked him in a curious tone of voice, her head slightly tilted to the side and an imaginary question mark appeared on top of her head.

“As you know, my wife and your mother have died already. I don’t have anyone to escort in the ball, not even once after your mother died I escorted anyone,” That was the first time that her father opened up to her about their mother and his wife. His usual cold and monotonous voice were laced with sadness and she could see how he clenched his jaw. It feels like she saw a crack on his strong and cold mask and façade of his self. The death of the woman that he loved the most greatly affected him, he was heartbroken and lost, he was blinded by his anger and hate towards everyone.

Alexandra understood that because she lost so many important people in her previous life but never have it ever affected her that much. She only lost herself, she felt nothing when they were gone. She understands, people die and no one can stop that. Death was inevitable and unstoppable even the most powerful human being can’t stop death itself. It was like they also took a part of herself when they left the world yet she understood him.

“Be my escort,” Those were only 3 words spoken by her lips in a gentle and low tone of voice yet it was filled with sincerity. Even with her voice that sounded low and almost inaudible, it was piercing his the inside of his ears. It rang and echoed, pounding against his head. Her father’s narrow and sharp eyes widened and that was the first she saw that expression on his face, he must have been really shocked and he didn’t expect that I would say that, she thought to herself.

–“It’s the least I could do as your father.”

Those words echoed inside her head even while they were talking. It was as if her father thinks that he still wasn’t enough and he thinks that all the things that he does for her are still wasn’t enough. Even though he bought her all the things that she needs, it feels like something was still lacking. However, Alexandra didn’t felt like that. It was like everything that he did was too much for her to handle, it’s not bad, but it was overwhelming and she knows that her father wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied by it. So she only just let him be and bathed in the luxury of all the things that he gives but never forgetting to thank him and show appreciation.

She remembered that one time where she asked Diana to teach her how to make and bake cookies. He was going to give her father those cookies as thanks for him making that one small room inside her room into a library and filled it will all the books that she wants and likes.

Her father was still shock and speechless, he blinked multiple times. The words that she has said to him repeated inside his head like a broken track or a song on repeat. He held his breath against his throat not knowing what to respond to her.

“Are you sure about that decision?” Finally regaining his composure back, he asked her that. Alexandra held a gentle yet serious expression on her face and she showed him a tender smile before she responded, “Yes. I am sure of it, daddy. I want you as my escort,” She said to him with a smile. The expression on her face bright and filled with sincerity. She heard her father let out a sigh as if he doesn’t agree with this decision or he was reluctant to agree.

“If you don’t want to, I could just pick either Christian or Gilbert.”

“No, it’s not like that. I’m just wondering, why me?” Girls who are the daughters of royalty or a noble would never ask for their father to be their escort, it’s not like it wasn’t allowed or they don’t want it. It’s a rare thing, it rarely happens. Most of them would ask someone they like, their fiancée, or a male noble equal to their status or something like that. For a girl like her who was the daughter of the emperor asking her father to be her escort was quite unusual and unique.

Alexandra hummed before she responded. She has no particular reason at all, the idea just suddenly popped up inside her head and the words just slipped past her lips as if what she said was the most normal thing in the world. “Well, I guess that’s because you’re my father. Since that is the first ball that I am going to attend and I would be known to everyone, I thought that it would be better if you were my escort rather than my brothers. The impact to everyone seeing the two of us together would be somehow… large or overwhelming. Besides, I have always wished for you to be my escort on the first ball that I am going to attend,” Alexandra said and a bright smile was seen on her face afterward.

Perhaps Alexandra’s smile was too bright that he averted his gaze and decided to look down on his paperwork. “Fine,” He said as if he had no choice left but he was feeling happy and bubbly inside, he just hid it with his cold expression. Alexandra let out a giggle, the expression on her face becoming brighter as seconds passed by and she watched her father continue his paperwork without saying anything.

“Right, after that ball, you will be known to everyone.”

“Yes, and what about it, father?”

“You will have your coronation as the princess of the empire a month or two after that.”

Eh? Alexandra was at loss for words. If they were in the dining room talking about this, she would either choke on the water that she is drinking or in the food that she is eating. Coronation as the Princess of the Empire? She asked herself, staring at her father, disbelief in her eyes as if she doesn’t believe what he is saying. A coronation will be held for me?

It seems like her father heard what she was thinking and responded to her once again, “Circumstances are different. Up until now, your existence was hidden away from everyone and only a few people know about you. Which means, they never thought that this empire had a princess. Just because you are my daughter and your existence were announced already, that doesn’t mean that you are instantly a princess. Even your brothers went through a coronation just to be the princes of this empire. It would be better if we held a coronation after that. However, you would be busier, and seeing that your lessons and sessions with Ferdinand are going to end, I would take advantage of that. You would have another tutor that will teach you manners, dancing, and such things that are needed as a princess, is that fine with you? You can back out if you want but that means you wouldn’t be able to attend balls as your existence is still now known.”

Alexandra was rendered speechless, her mouths lightly agape. She wasn’t shocked by what he said, she already knew that. A princess needs to be graceful and elegant, she is going to be trained just to be like that. What made her speechless was that her father was able to say all of that in one breathe and while doing his paperwork. Amazing, she thought to herself. Right now, there are dumb thoughts inside her head.

Alexandra, regaining her composure as she realized what she should answer, she finally spoke. “I will not back out, I already knew all of that, daddy.”

“You’re just 10 but it feels like you know almost everything in this world.”

“It’s because of the books that I have read, father.”

“Well, I suppose, books contain a lot of knowledge that will be passed to the person who was reading it.”

—

Alexandra was in the garden now along with Arthur. She decided to spend time with him for the rest of the morning before she has her afternoon meal. She doesn’t want to train at this time of the morning and she would always prefer it in the afternoon, she just wants to have a chat with him that’s why they are in the garden. They were sitting under the shade of the tree, Arthur was leaning back on the trunk of the tree while Alexandra was sitting in front of him. Arthur was prepared and he bought a picnic blanket for them to sit on so that their clothes wouldn’t get dirty because of the ground. How thoughtful.

Alexandra held out her palm open and decided to chant a few words before a small magic circle appeared on top of her palm along with a ball of fire. The magic circle remained and the ball of fire just floated on top of it. She can control it now unlike before where it would get bigger as seconds passed by even when she only wanted it to be small. She let out a sigh and just stared at her palm with the magic circle and fire on top.

A magic circle would always appear when a person uses a spell. Depending on what kind of spell you are using will be the color and kind of magic circle. The magic circle on top of her palm had a red outline that looked like it was glowing, that was because she was using fire. Magic is complicated in this world although it was almost the same as those kinds of games in her previous life. It was much more complicated than the hardest topic of math and science combined.

There were elements and such, under the light magic there were 4 elements. Water, Fire, Wind, Earth (or Nature). Holy Magic was Creation, Dark Magic was Destruction. Combine the two of them and it would create something powerful, something spectacular yet that wizard was able to control the three of them without ease. Was it the blessings of the Goddess or their curse? Alexandra was confused and she was wondering about that. Maybe they lend him their power or did he inherit it from his parents? Magic can be inherited or lent to another person or borrowed from another person.

“Have you told them that your mana is sealed?”

“No, I’m still not sure about it yet. It was just a hunch.”

“Can I ask for Sir Friyedor to check it?”

“I don’t know. I’ll ask him about that.”

Alexandra hummed as a response. One thing that she is more confused at was about her mana, Arthur told her that he had a feeling or hunch that her mana was sealed while Harrison was sure that her mana was sealed. However, if it really was, then who and why?

She decided to stop the spell and deactivated it, causing the fire to vanish along with the magic circle. She let out a sigh and closed her palm. She came here to have a chat with Arthur but they were silent just the whole time. Well, there is nothing to talk about in the first place, we always spend so much time together talking and training to the point that we ran out of topics. However, it wasn’t that bad. The silence that surrounded them was comfortable and made her feel at ease. Nobody wanted to break it so they just remained silent.

I really want to eat cookies right now, she thought to herself and closed her eyes.