The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 97

The bed was large enough for four children, so I sat quietly next to Yuri.

“This is a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yeah. The box is a bit crushed, but the contents should be fine. I really wanted to give it to you.”

I didn’t really understand what longing was all about. But I understood one thing for sure: my words had a big impact on Yuri.

I’d never had such a big influence on anyone in my life, so I didn’t know what to do, but since I’m the older sister…

I guess I should act like one!

“Wow! Earrings… !”

“I thought opals would look good on you.”

I guess it’s okay to say this much, right?

I opened my mouth with some trepidation.

“They sparkle in different colors—white when you look at them this way, and light purple when you look at them that way… I thought they looked like you.”

“You bought them thinking of me. I’m so happy!”

Yuri stroked the earrings for a while, clearly pleased, then suddenly started rubbing her earlobes.

“A, are you going to wear them right away?”

“You gave them to me, so I should.”

“No, no. Get your ears pierced later, then wear them. Not now!”

I was flustered and immediately stopped Yuri.

I didn’t have a men’s opal bracelet, and I couldn’t give her an anklet or a hair pin, so I chose earrings as a safe bet, but she’s trying to get her ears pierced right away.

Even Ian didn’t do this!

“Aww, I want to wear them right now!”

“Don’t hurt your pretty ears. Let’s wear them when you’re fifteen, okay? Besides, you have a fever right now.”

I touched her forehead, and she still had a slight fever.

I quickly drew on my divine power and made bubbles pop up.

“Cool…”

“You’ll be fine soon. Let’s take a nap.”

I laid Yuri down and lay down next to her.

Yuri, holding my hand tightly, slowly closed her eyes and mumbled.

“I’m glad I can actually hold your hand.”

Yuri soon fell asleep, probably exhausted from staying awake for so long waiting for me.

I stared at Yuri for a long time and imagined her becoming my husband.

‘Hmm… is it because we haven’t known each other long enough?’

Nothing came to mind right away. I can imagine him becoming a dignified emperor so well, though.

‘I want to be a daughter-in-law of this family, no matter what country I’m from… I don’t particularly want to be an empress.’

What should I do with Yuri, who has already imprinted on me?

As I pondered, I realized my eyelids were getting heavy, and I carefully got out of bed and returned to my room.

‘I wish Ariadne was really in Arkhalik.’

Then I could at least hear how she accepted the emperor’s imprint…

With that thought, I fell fast asleep.

Someone I didn’t recognize appeared in my dream, and I didn’t remember much else… but one thing remained vaguely in my memory.

“Your body was originally yours. So your family is originally your family.”

A light so cozy and warm it brought tears to my eyes. A voice like silk wrapping around me… but that was probably an illusion created by my expectations.

Dreams often reflect expectations, they say.

* * *

The airship arrived in the Principality of Arkhalik that morning.

The sunlight tapped on my eyelids, and I frowned and woke up. Then, I suddenly realized where I was and jumped up.

“I wanted to see us arrive!!!”

I rushed to the window, pressed my nose against the glass, and realized that there was fog everywhere and I couldn’t see anything.

“Father!”

I took out my magic wand from my luggage, waved it around, and changed my clothes in just three seconds, then ran out like crazy.

I passed the reception room and went to the entrance, where my father, already dressed, as well as the Emperor, Hwairan, and Yuri were all gathered.

Oh my gosh, I’m last!

“Why didn’t you wake me up, Father!”

“You were sleeping so soundly. Besides, we’re waiting for permission to disembark anyway.”

“Wasn’t permission already granted?”

“They say that when the fog is heavy, spirits run wild, so it’s better to disembark after it clears.”

Spirits? Are they talking about ghosts?

I felt a chill and stealthily took a step back behind my father.

Hwairan, who was watching me, chuckled.

“Princess, you don’t have to worry about anything. Only people on the ground are affected by spirits.”

It sounded like if I wasn’t from here, the spirits would attack me.

I glanced at Hwairan with a sour look and gripped my father’s sleeve even tighter.

“Oh, the fog is clearing.”

Fortunately, after about 10 minutes, the fog slowly disappeared and the blue sky returned from the edge. At the same time, the wide side window installed at the entrance reflected the people waiting outside.

‘Will the person who is supposed to be my dad be out here? Of course, it might not be my dad, but still.’

Who among these many people is my dad?

My heart is pounding.

I was fine until yesterday; maybe it’s because it didn’t feel real.

Creak.

The large entrance slowly opened, pulling the outside air in. I went right up to the entrance and stood there, clenching and unclenching my fists.

“Shall we go then?”

Hwairan, happy to be home, smiled and disembarked first. After that, the Emperor and Yuri followed, and I moved even later than my father.

‘I’m scared of getting hurt as much as I’m excited.’

I was afraid of the gazes and attitudes of the people who had looked at me with eyes expecting a princess, and then turning to disappointment when they found out I wasn’t a princess.

Am I so afraid because I’m worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet?

“Welcome, guests from the ground.”

I saw the Arkhalik people who had come to greet us. They all had silver hair and red eyes like me.

I searched among them for people who might be my dad.

‘That person’s eyes don’t look like mine, that person’s chin is too pointy, that person’s nose doesn’t look like mine.’

Most of the others are women…

“I am Mokheera, the owner of Mok Island, who has come to serve the guests by order of the king.”

Just in time, a woman wearing a mask came forward and introduced herself as Mokheera. She seemed to be in a similar position to Hwairan… which means she’s the highest-ranking person in the welcoming party—

‘Ah.’

He didn’t come.

‘He didn’t come.’

I repeated the same words twice in my mind. Calmly, but clearly.

My chest hurts a little… why do I feel like this?

‘He’s just someone I’ve never met before anyway. It’s natural that he didn’t come to pick me up because it’s not certain.’

But why am I…

I suddenly felt overwhelmed, so I bit my tongue painfully and held back my tears.

Then, I secretly took a few deep breaths, and I felt my father glance at me, so I just smiled awkwardly.

It’s okay. It’ll be okay.

With that meaning.

“Would you like to rest from your journey first? Or shall we take you to where the king is?”

Mokheera, the owner of Mok Island, continued calmly.

The Emperor shook his head briefly.

“I believe there was a prior arrangement with me.”

“Then we will prepare a winged palanquin [a covered litter carried by people] for the guest.”

As soon as Mokheera finished speaking, the attendants brought a palanquin that seemed to be just the right size for one person to enter. The reason it was a palanquin and not a carriage was because people were carrying it.

“These are guides that the king has provided. They will take the guest to any island they wish, and you can stay comfortably in any inn once you get off the winged palanquin.”

Oh… that’s a consideration in name only; it’s actually surveillance.

The Emperor couldn’t possibly not know what I understood, but he got into the palanquin without saying anything. It clearly showed that he didn’t care about anything else as long as his goal was achieved.

“Well, then, Princess and the others, this way.”

I wondered what would happen to the rest of us, but Hwairan grinned, cupped his hand around his mouth, and blew out a breath. Then, a huge cloud-like thing popped out, and surprisingly, it seemed to be another means of transportation.

“Was that alchemy?”

“Yes, Princess. In Arkhalik, even three-year-olds do basic alchemy [a mystical and symbolic pursuit focused on transforming base metals into gold and discovering a universal elixir]. It’s the first thing they learn before finding their own specialty.”

There’s such a thing.

I was quite amazed and got on the cloud.

I thought it would be hard to stand because it was so fluffy, but surprisingly, the place where I stepped was solid.

“Because no one can go to Sun Island, even airships like this one from the outside first land on Mok Island. From here, we’ll whoosh to where the king is.”

Hwairan, who was explaining briefly, was also wearing a mask that he had taken out at some point. Maybe there’s a rule here that the ‘owners of the islands’ must wear masks.

Until now, Hwairan hadn’t told me much about Arkhalik, perhaps because he thought it would be a disaster if I wasn’t a princess. So I was just inferring everything.

‘What do the islands mean? Why do they wear masks? Why do spirits attack people on the ground? And why are these people’s language and our language the same…? There are so many things I’m curious about. Also, why does the king have the same meaning as a god?’

I came here after waiting a long time.

Now, it was time to find the answer to my roots.