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chapter 9
“Floppy, floppy.”
Normally, the capital’s Warp Gate cannot be used without the emperor’s permission.
Due to the city’s strict defenses, even nobles must pass through the city gates themselves.
However, the Duke of Ersioni was an exception.
As a grand noble, he was allowed to use the Warp Gate without authorization.
Thanks to this, the privilege extended to his only daughter, Lirian, as well.
Having lost her sense of romance and adventure, Lirian flopped down in Caesar’s arms like melted cheese until they arrived at the mansion.
“Why did Liri suddenly lose all her energy?”
Seeing his droopy daughter, he was a little concerned, but figured she was just tired from the warp.
After all, folding space to travel was a kind of magic unfamiliar to most, often causing nausea or headaches.
“We’ll go to the royal palace on the last day.”
“Mm…”
“While you take a nap, Daddy will finish up some errands, alright? Then we can go explore the bustling streets together.”
“Explore the bustling streets…?”
Lirian, who had been sticking to Caesar like melted cheese, perked up instantly.
“Although it’s a city of busy folk, there’s still a lot to see in the heart of the empire. You can buy delicious treats from street vendors, watch children’s puppet shows, and even see the ceremonial events of the church—though they’re not very flashy, kids seem to love them.”
Lirian’s eyes began to sparkle again.
“If we’re lucky, we might even see the Dawn Sword in the plaza.”
“Do we get to disguise ourselves too?!”
“Hm? Disguise?”
Caesar was puzzled by Lirian’s sudden change of topic.
“Yes! When you sneak among people, you have to disguise yourself so they don’t recognize you.”
Ah, she meant pretending to be a commoner.
Watching his daughter excitedly describe what she had seen at the puppet show, he chuckled softly.
“Alright, shall we do the disguises then?”
“Yes!”
“Good. Then you’ll need to nap first, Detective Lirian, so you have energy for the disguise later.”
“Ugh, I don’t want to nap.”
“Children need naps to have the energy to play vigorously.”
Reluctantly, Lirian agreed, making a pinky promise with Caesar to wear the disguise, and lay down on the bed.
Her father gently patted her chest.
Through the blurry edges of her closing vision, she faintly saw the shape of a golden butterfly.
‘A butterfly?’
Realizing it was the suspicious butterfly she had seen at the station, she tried desperately to lift her eyelids, but they were stronger than a deep-sea dragon.
Slowly, Lirian’s eyes closed.
Just before her vision was swallowed by darkness, the butterfly transformed into the shape of a silver-haired man.
Truly a fascinating human. His soul, separated from himself, was so solid.
He reached out his hand.
His large hand covered Lirian’s eyes.
The faintly glowing light around her seemed to seep into her body in an instant.
Then,
Clang!
From somewhere, she heard the sound of a chain breaking.
This gold seal, I will take it.
Lirian’s eyes snapped open.
‘Huh?’
Her body felt refreshed as if she had slept deeply.
Realizing she was in a mansion in the capital, she looked around.
But when she searched for the silver-haired man she had vaguely seen before sleeping, he was gone.
‘I’m not stupid!’
Not once, not twice. She wasn’t fooled again.
Jumping up, Lirian began to dash around the room.
“Butterfly, are you hiding well?”
She stood on tiptoe to peek into the wardrobe.
“Butterfly, come play with me.”
She looked under the bed, flipping the covers.
“Butterflyyyyy!”
She even opened the trash can.
But the silver-haired man was nowhere to be found.
Lirian’s expression hardened.
‘I’ll find you.’
No matter how well one hides, in hide-and-seek, the seeker always wins.
She vowed firmly: she would catch both Illei and Illei 2!
At that moment, Caesar sensed the commotion and entered the room.
“Princess, you’re awake—”
Seeing the room in disarray, he froze.
“Daddy! Let’s go quickly!”
“Our princess must have been bored…”
“We have to catch them fast!”
“I hope she doesn’t dive into a lake trying to catch a giant cookie like she did at four.”
“I have to catch them to ask them something!”
They were talking to themselves, accustomed to their private monologue.
Predicting Lirian’s next move, Caesar scooped her up in his arms.
“Wahh!”
“Children must be securely wrapped before going out on the streets, according to imperial law.”
“Is that really a law?”
“Well, it’s buried somewhere in the empire’s thousand-year-thick, unnecessarily massive law book.”
Setting his daughter down on the bed, Caesar efficiently helped her change clothes.
Click, click.
In an instant, she was dressed.
Lirian looked curiously at the unfamiliar outfit.
‘Is this the disguise?’
Looking at her now, no one would ever suspect she was the precious daughter of the Duke.
“‘It’s a detective outfit. Your mother has a whole collection. When you said you wanted to disguise yourself, she insisted you wear this. Do you like it?”
“Yes! I saw detectives in Rose—they’re super smart!”
In an instant, Lirian became a baby detective.
Beige blouse, light brown checkered skirt, matching cape-style cloak, and a detective hat.
And a silver detective badge pinned to her left chest.
Caesar smiled warmly and tied the cloak strings into a neat ribbon.
“But aren’t you disguising yourself too, Daddy?”
“Of course. If there’s a detective, there must be a thief too.”
“What’s a thief?”
“A very strong and cool villain.”
“Oh!”
Even though she didn’t fully understand, Lirian was pleased her father would also wear a disguise.
“All done.”
Caesar had cast protective, warmth, and ventilation spells on the silver detective badge, then set Lirian down.
She tapped her little shoes on the floor, then noticed the magnifying glass hanging from her waist.
‘What’s this?’
Curious, she immediately brought it to the light, close and far, examining everything.
“Daddy, the world gets bigger and smaller!”
“Haha, that’s a magnifying glass, an essential tool for detectives.”
“Magnifying glass?”
“It lets you see the world much larger.”
With one eye the size of a marble, Lirian looked at her father.
There he was—the dangerously handsome disguised thief, with a monocle and a long cloak, smiling as he enveloped her in it.
“Shall we go, Detective?”
Even the little beauty mark beneath his left eye was perfect.
Who would ever guess this man was a married father of four?
Lirian, shocked, thought to herself:
‘Daddy… is actually… not aging?!’
It made sense—according to her memory, Caesar’s face had remained unchanged for ten years.
Although his eyes seemed a bit deeper with subtle sorrow, his face was identical.
Unaware of the world’s law that handsome men and women don’t age, Lirian was deeply troubled.
‘Come to think of it, Illei hasn’t changed either.’
From age seventeen, when the abyss erupted, until twenty-five, when the world ended, Lirian had been with Illei.
Illei had never changed.
Lirian’s concern deepened.
‘…We need a firm anti-aging facial serum.’
Unaware of Lirian’s thoughts, Caesar was simply pleased to finally have a cozy date with his youngest daughter.
With a solemn expression, he strode forward.
As they left the mansion, accompanied by the servants, a new world unfolded.
“Wow!”
For a moment, she completely forgot all her worries.
Lirian jumped out of her father’s arms.
Bright sunlight poured down.
Fluffy clouds dotted the blue sky.
Beautifully colored mansions stretched across the landscape, with faint hints of bustling activity beyond.
Lirian dashed toward it.
“Lirian, don’t run!”
Her father’s voice called from behind, but she couldn’t stop.
Until the abyss erupted, Lirian’s memories had remained in her beloved Ersioni estate.
Unlike most children of noble families who grew up in the capital, she had spent her childhood in her territory.
Though she didn’t know why, she had stayed in the estate even past her teenage years, before her coming-of-age ceremony.
To her, the capital was a strange place—a new world.
Everything was neatly organized.
The large houses, the passing people—it was all so orderly.
While running with a bright smile, she heard faint voices, too soft for others to hear.
“Oh my.”
“Running around like that, how rude. You must not be from a noble family.”
Lirian found it amusing. People were always surprised to see a child running like a little colt, even though it was natural.
Then, seeing the Duke chasing after her, they were even more shocked.
“Wait, black hair… could it be someone from Ersioni…?”
In an instant, Lirian left the eastern district, home to high-ranking nobles.
Before her stretched wide boulevards and a peaceful world.
