My Life Is Your Undoing |WMMAP|

13. Please Don't Eat Me

When a trespasser asks "Who the hell are you?", there are a few appropriate responses, such as:

A. Fire the question right back at them, "I could ask you the same!"

B. Declare your identity boldly, "I am the princess of the empire, what's it to you, huh?"

C. Get them to leave by yelling for security, "Guards!"

D. Threaten them with your family, "My dad is a (future) filicide and my mom is a (figurative) fairy, you know?"

Of course, there is also this response.

"Er, I don't know."

I don't know?! I don't know who I am?? Is this the amnesiac arc?? What is this mouth of mine even saying???

He lets out an annoyed sigh, and then stares at me intensely. "Looking at those jeweled eyes... You must be a direct descendent of royal blood." He strokes his chin. "So you're Kyilum's daughter?"

"What?"

"Was that not it? Damn it, I slept for longer than I thought..." he mutters. He snaps his fingers. "Then is your dad Ternitas?"

At my nonplussed expression, he heaves another dramatic sigh. "This is getting tedious."

Something about this guy feels a little threatening. Fearing for my life if I continue to get on his nerves, I reply hastily, "My dad's name is Claude!"

Though I would much rather his name be Kyilum or Aeternitas*. At least they didn't go down in history for killing their own daughter!

For the first time he looks taken aback. "Claude? That's the name of the current emperor?"

"Uh, yes."

Has this dude been living under a rock? How can he not know something as simple as this? I glance at him dubiously.

But he abruptly bursts into laughter. "Ah, what the hell is this? Did I sleep through a revolution?"

I just give him a look like he has gone nuts.

His chuckles die down as suddenly as they came, and his gaze turns cold. I shiver.

"Hmm, but what should I do? You woke me up and now I'm hungry."

H-he's talking about food, right? Then why is he staring at me like I'm his prey?

I gulp. "I-is that so? I think there should be some berries in this garden..." Then I recall the lack of floral diversity in this garden. "... or maybe not..."

"Say, if you're really of royal blood..." His grin sharpens wickedly. "Won't your mana be especially pure and divine?"

Mana? Why is he talking about my mana? What mana?

He leans closer, a hair's breadth away from my face. "Shall we find out?"

I'd rather not!

I can see the reflection of my terrified expression in his ruby-like eyes. Then those eyes darken with ire.

"Tsk."

He reels backward, seemingly even more irritated than before.

"Ugh, how young are you that your mana hasn't even manifested yet? There's nothing for me to eat," he complains like it's all my fault.

I reply on autopilot, "Athy is five."

"Ah, your name is Athy?" He snags onto that bit of information immediately. "So you were lying when you said you didn't know who you were, hmm?"