Chapter 22: The Filleting Knife and the Queen’s Lingering Hope

“Daddy, what does it mean to ‘give oneself in marriage’?”

Nina approached from the side, drawing her filleting knife. I could see the dark lines etched across her face, her smile laced with murderous intent, and a chilling aura emanating from her.

My entire body felt frozen, every muscle stiff, rendering me utterly incapable of escape.

Her resentment was clearly directed at me, yet I couldn’t fathom why Nina never confronted Emma or Sara. This truly had nothing to do with Daddy!

Emma immediately darted away, watching Nina advance toward me without the slightest intention of offering an explanation.

“Hehe~”

She even covered her mouth, stifling a giggle from the sidelines. Only moments before, when she had clung to me, she had seemed so innocent and pure.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, that impish grin returned, her sly eyes seeming to say, ‘It finally worked~ How amusing!’

Ah, I understood now. The talk of ‘giving oneself in marriage’ was all a ruse, a deliberate ploy to capture Nina’s attention.

And to think I had been momentarily pleased… How could I have been pleased? My heart would forever belong to Nina! How could I possibly rejoice over such a lie?

“Well then, Ken, Nina, come for lunch after you’re done. Don’t die, alright~”

“Hey! Wait! Em—”

“Dad~dy!”

Nina lunged, pressing the knife to my throat. With Emma making her getaway, I had no choice but to retreat, step by agonizing step, under Nina’s relentless pressure.

No, I had to clear up this misunderstanding immediately!

“Nina! Listen to me! That ‘giving oneself in marriage’ isn’t what you think! Nothing happened between Emma and me!”

“Oh really~ Nothing happened at all~ Then why were you two hugging? She looked… genuinely fond of you, Daddy~”

“No! That was just… just… because I saved her! She simply sees me as a kind elder, and children naturally gravitate towards reliable people. It’s a perfectly normal thing, there’s truly no special affection involved!”

“But Emma is almost the same age as Nina. Why doesn’t Nina act like that?”

Thinking about it, Nina truly hadn’t shown affection towards anyone but me. After all, she had grown up indulged by me, always by my side.

Now, how was I supposed to explain this?

“That’s… that’s because… right! Nina, you’ve always been by Daddy’s side, haven’t you? You rarely go out and interact with other elders, and there are only so many people in the village. Of course, you wouldn’t grow close to other elders! Right?”

“That’s right~ Nina has always been by Daddy’s side~ So why does Daddy need more people around him~ when he already knows Nina is here!”

!!!

As Nina’s voice rose, my gaze remained fixed on the knife tip, completely oblivious to what was behind me.

I tumbled onto the bed, and Nina, seizing the opportunity, scrambled on top, her small bottom pressing down on my body. The filleting knife, now pointing upwards, rested beneath my chin.

“Daddy dear~”

Nina leaned in, her face drawing closer to mine. A strange sense of unease settled over me. At this angle, at this proximity, if she came any closer, we would… we would… we would kiss!

“Nina, you… calm down… Daddy truly didn’t do anything. Daddy only loves you and Mummy!”

“Really? Then~ prove it to Nina~”

Nina’s face drew ever nearer. I couldn’t see the filleting knife below, my head dared not move, and my gaze was now solely fixed on Nina’s lips.

Dewy and lustrous, they were an enticing pale cherry blossom pink. It felt as if merely touching them with a fingertip would make me reluctant to withdraw, let alone kiss them.

It would surely become uncontrollable, and it truly felt as though they were about to meet!

“Nina, you first—”

“Shut up!”

!!

For the first time ever, Nina roared at me, completely stunning me. I was utterly powerless to resist; even the courage to shift my eyes was banished by her command.

“Daddy, you belong to Nina, so…”

No, ‘Daddy is yours’ is perfectly fine, but my daughter! What exactly are you trying to do? Don’t come any closer! Wait! No—!

***

At the same time, within the royal palace.

A young woman, with short, crimson hair, dressed in a magnificent princess gown, arrived before the Queen’s chambers.

Contrasting sharply with her exquisite, flower-like beauty, her expression was currently filled with a resolute fighting spirit, like an unseasoned warrior, completely at odds with her opulent attire.

Knock, knock.

Raising her hand, she tapped lightly on the door, trying to soften the sound, and called out softly:

“Your Majesty the Queen.”

After a moment, a maid opened the door from the other side.

“Your Royal Highness.”

“How is Her Majesty the Queen?”

“All is well. She has awakened.”

“I see.”

Entering respectfully, the princess looked towards her mother, Queen Katina, who sat upon the bed.

Her hair, also crimson, cascaded down her back to her waist. Her fair skin was veiled by a thin nightgown, over which a light robe was draped to retain warmth and prevent a chill.

“Ah, you’ve come, Vinya.”

Seeing her daughter, Princess Vinya of the Fahl Kingdom, arrive, Queen Katina offered a rare, gentle smile. Yet, her expression was tinged with weariness, and a natural sadness lingered in her eyes.

“You may both withdraw.”

“Yes.”

Dismissing the maid and the royal physician, Katina beckoned Vinya closer. Vinya sat directly on the bed, taking her mother’s hand.

She glanced behind her, and once the door closed, her dignified demeanor softened. At this moment, she seemed more like a princess of the realm than before.

“Mother, are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m fine. But you, you are a princess. Don’t keep making that face; this isn’t a battlefield.”

“I don’t want to, but I can’t change it in an instant.”

“Isn’t it fine just like this, as you are now?”

“No, I am a princess. How can I face the outside world with such an attitude?”

“Hehe, you’re right.”

Shedding the sternness they maintained when servants were present, the two were now simply an intimately close mother and daughter.

To the outside world, as royalty and members of the sacred Loseth family, they had to constantly uphold their dignity.

Thus, in the eyes of the populace, there was only the Queen’s majesty; they had never witnessed a motherly queen or a princess doting on her mother.

However, while confined to her sickbed, letting go of all prestige and opening her heart to her daughter was far more beneficial for the patient’s recovery.

Yet, no matter how much time passed, Queen Katina’s illness would never be fully cured. While they were minor ailments like colds, fevers, and general fatigue, after recovering, she would fall ill again within a week, a month, or half a year.

It was known that illness was extremely rare for the Loseth family, who possessed sacred bodies immune to all poisons.

If one truly fell ill, it indicated an issue with one’s own condition. Sometimes, it was a heart ailment accumulated from ceaseless longing for a certain person, ultimately leading to physical discomfort.

“Mother, are you still thinking about Brother?”

Vinya knew that the one who caused her mother’s illness was none other than Zero, Queen Katina’s only and most cherished son.

Upon learning of Zero’s disappearance from the palace, Katina had collapsed, remaining bedridden for a month, alarming the entire royal court.

Since then, her body had become much weaker; she was perhaps the frailest queen in the Loseth family’s millennia-long history.

Falling ill periodically, over a decade had passed, and the servants and ministers had grown accustomed to it, always prepared to care for the Queen. During her illnesses, state affairs had to be managed by others.

Zero—it was her longing for her child, coupled with her inability to see him or embrace him again, that had reduced Katina to this state. Only Zero could truly heal her.

Moreover, she was acutely aware that the nameless hero, the “Saintess of Salvation,” was the child she thought of day and night. In this world, there was only one person with white hair and crimson eyes.

It was almost unbelievable that Zero, who had always been protected under her wing, had accomplished such a feat. Yet, this pride could not restore her health. She yearned for Zero, for her child to return to her embrace.

“Regardless, he is my beloved son, and also… your revered elder brother, isn’t he?”

“Mother… Yes, he is my most beloved Brother Zero!”

This longing also passed to Vinya. She remembered the figure she had chased as a child, her ‘Brother’ Zero, who, despite not being blood-related and lacking the strength of a warrior, had unconditionally showered her with boundless affection.

She wished to return to those days, to her childhood self chasing after Brother Zero, nestling in his embrace, to feel the warmth he gave her once more.

“Back then, Mother even said Brother Zero would be back soon.”

“Yes, I always hoped that one day, Zero would return to my side… I’m sorry, Vinya, Mother lied to you.”

“No, it’s alright. I believe Brother Zero will definitely come back!”

“Mm.” Katina pulled Vinya into a hug, and Vinya lay on her side, nestled against her mother. “Zero, he will definitely come back. Ah… I wonder if he’s healthy now. If he fell ill like me, who would take care of him?”

“It’s okay, Mother. Brother Zero, he is a hero, after all. He must be protecting this continent somewhere right now. He will… surely… return to us soon!”

Every day, this royal mother and daughter wished for this, their longing for their beloved fueling the stability of their nation.

They did not know that the person they thought of day and night had, in fact, already returned.