I Became the Abandoned Daughter of an Underworld Boss

Yuriana, who had suddenly turned into a mischievous child, confirmed the door was closed before climbing onto Levina’s seat.

‘Oh… I can read it just by looking. But since I can’t immediately form sentences in my head, I guess I need more practice. Let’s study, Yuriana!’

Learning another country’s language wasn’t easy.

Yuriana didn’t know why Levina was suddenly so determined to study the imperial language. She didn’t ask, knowing Levina wouldn’t answer anyway.

Instead, Yuriana indulged in some wild speculation.

‘Could Dark Town be expanding into the Reef Empire? Hehe, if that happens, I’ll… I’ll actually become rich when I grow up. Silk merchant Yuriana!’

Nearly half a month had passed since then.

Levina seemed to be steadily studying the imperial language.

She carried the textbook around the playroom, glancing at it whenever she had time. It was definitely not just a hobby.

Yuriana’s imperial language skills were also subtly improving.

The Nea Kingdom and the Reef Empire spoke the same language, but their written characters were completely different.

This caused quite a bit of confusion.

‘Ugh…’

Yuriana, who was tired from the unexpected language study, asked in the afternoon.

“Hey, Levina. Can I go see Dad today?”

Since she had previously received permission, she thought if she asked now, she might get permission to visit within a few days at most.

Yuriana was a good child who didn’t throw a tantrum if she couldn’t go immediately. At least, she thought she was… probably.

Levina, surprisingly, looked troubled.

“What should we do? It’s difficult for now. You’ll have to play in the annex for the time being.”

“Huh? Why? What’s going on in the main building?”

“Meow?”

When Yuriana pricked up her ears, Lulu, who had been lazily sleeping, also turned his head and meowed.

There was no doubt. Something was happening in the main building! Therefore, they were restricting access!

Unlike the nearly deserted annex, the main building had many staff and tight security. Yuriana, who had seen it with her own eyes, didn’t let it go easily.

“Please calm down, Miss. It’s not happening right away. There’s still some time.”

“Meow~”

Even Lulu, who had been quietly lying down, stretched out his front paws and came down. If those two teamed up, it would be hard for Levina to handle alone.

Feeling even more troubled, Levina tried to explain nicely.

“Miss, the boss is currently planning something important. If you interfere, it could cause trouble, right?”

“Mmm.”

Levina hesitated before deciding to reveal a bit more.

“A distinguished guest might visit the kingdom. But we’re not sure yet, so the boss is working hard. I’ll definitely let you know when it’s decided, so please don’t go to the main building for now. Promise?”

Ignoring Levina’s outstretched pinky finger was hard. Yuriana really liked her.

More than Leticia, who had abandoned her, or Chef Sheldon combined.

“… alright.”

“Hehe, since Miss Yuriana is being so good, today’s dessert will be apricot pie. I’ll have it brought with plenty of syrup.”

“Whoa!”

While Yuriana danced with joy over a slice of apricot pie, Asil was troubled.

He finally burst out with frustration.

“Is he crazy?”

“Boss!”

Milion, Asil’s close aide, looked around, but luckily, they were alone.

There were no spies in Dark House . Even so, they needed to be cautious.

Asil tapped the table with his fingers in an extremely nervous rhythm.

“Milion, you tell me. What do you think Emperor Harun, who sent this reply, is thinking?”

“That is…”

“You don’t know either, right? I’m the same. He’s crazy, and I’m on the brink of losing it.”

No matter how much he reconsidered, Asil couldn’t ignore Alice’s request.

Contacting the Reef Empire had been easy, but what came after was the problem.

Emperor Harun officially expressed no intention of setting foot in the Nea Kingdom.

It wasn’t just a matter of reporting failure to the queen. It was because the emperor had made another proposal.

‘Ha…!’

The emperor wanted to make an unofficial visit to Dark Town, where he had briefly stayed before.

“Does this make sense?”

Milion responded straightforwardly.

“It doesn’t.”

Asil murmured in frustration.

“Even if Dark Town has become a place where just anyone can come and go, this is too much.”

“Boss…!”

“There’s an order here. And Harun is an emperor. The emperor of an empire! Even though the king of this country is an important figure, the weight is different!”

Refusing to visit the Nea Kingdom but wanting to come to Dark Town.

This was a significant issue for Asil, the head of Dark Town.

Moreover, Dark Town was right on the border with the Reef Empire.

There was no fear of unintentional border crossing.

A magical barrier and vigilant monitoring were in place here, and the geography on the other side was treeless with strong desert winds.

Thus, both sides had no reason to be on guard, preventing conflicts.

But coming here?

Milion suggested.

“How about politely declining due to security concerns?”

“If they insist on bringing their own guards, the problem gets bigger. What if our trusted business partners here feel unsafe and pull out?”

“That…!”

The emperor wouldn’t just bring a few disguised knights like Alice last time.

When he came because of the stone tablet, they only wrote numbers, but there were sword masters, sages, and high priests… they were capable of small-scale battles.

It was horrifying to even think about if the rumors of that event had spread widely. It was because the foreign forces had crossed the kingdom’s borders at will.

For that reason, King Aidan probably didn’t establish formal relations with the Empire after his marriage. It would be troublesome if their true identities were revealed to each other.

‘If it weren’t for Alice’s request, I’d want to stop this immediately.’

Even if he felt strongly about it, it was not possible to withdraw unilaterally at this point.

The emperor seemed to be thinking deeply about the unofficial visit to the Nea Kingdom. He could just break the stone tablet and be done with it!

Asil was troubled.

‘… should I ask Alice again? She didn’t tell me why she wanted to invite Emperor Harun. It can’t just be for a simple meeting. What kind of scheme does she have…’

A scheme.

Asil was startled to realize he was unconsciously viewing Alice as a mere object.

This was unlike him, who had loved her so deeply.

Million, who had been silently brooding, suggested again.

“If there’s no other way, proceeding as we are, might be fine.”

“What?”

“Boss, you are acquainted with Emperor Harun, unlike with the esteemed person from that kingdom.”

Asil hadn’t shared the conversation he had with Alice with Million.

However, Asil didn’t correct his subordinate’s misunderstanding right away. He was too irritated to pay attention.

“Hmm.”

“We don’t know what he’s up to, but once Emperor Harun arrives in Dark Town, won’t his true purpose become clear? Just revise the contract and wait.”

He wasn’t angry at Million for calling Alice’s request a scheme.

He thought the same thing.

Asil responded smoothly.

“That seems better. Proceed with it.”

“Yes, sir!”

And so, Emperor Harun’s visit to the Nea Kingdom was scheduled.

Without much deliberation, Asil sent a letter to the Queen’s Palace where Alice would be.

… and that letter ended up in the hands of the waiting Aidan before it reached the queen.

The king, upon reading the astonishing contents, remained silent without a word.

What would happen next?

The waiting time engulfed many in the kingdom.

* * *

“Lulululululu~”

“Meow meow meow meow meow~”

“Lulu, you’re such a good cat. Kyaa, I love you!”

“Meoooww!”

The clever Lulu mimicked Yuriana’s laughter.

As if she couldn’t bear it, Yuriana hugged Lulu who was making musical sounds and expressed her affection.

Lulu, annoyed at the sudden hug after playing along, slipped out and hid in his hiding spot.

“Where are you going!”

“Meow!”

Even though her cat had abandoned her, Yuriana laughed happily.

She had a good reason to be in such a good mood.

Why? Because she finally got her hands on some silver coins and copied them!

‘Hehehe.’

Although she hadn’t seen the gold coins she aimed for, it was still okay.

It was enough money for a six-year-old to use.

She even got some bronze coins. Two bronze coins made one silver coin, and she had one intact silver coin!

‘With this, I can enjoy some street food. I’m planning to live as a citizen of the kingdom who knows culture and etiquette, not someone who spends money limitlessly… but good things are good, right?’

“Hehehe.”

Having money in her pocket made her laugh. Was this why people said you needed a full wallet?

The one who gave her the silver and bronze coins was Levina.

She had handed them to Yuriana as a gift, saying she would teach her how to use them later, but why would she eat money?

Opening the door and stepping into the hallway, Yuriana chuckled.

“… it’s not like I’m smuggling it in my stomach.”

“Smuggling?”

Eek!

A familiar voice, it was Asil!

Startled, she turned around quickly, and he immediately asked.

“Have you been well?”

“Oh… Dad…”

It felt awkward to call him after so long.

“I am your dad, not a smuggler.”

“Yes? Yes…”

He tilted his chin slightly and asked.

“Why don’t you come visit the main house?”

Did you forget you told me not to come for a while!

But fortunately, he misunderstood.

He thought she had mistakenly mentioned smuggling while mumbling to herself, not that she actually knew what it meant.