I Became the Abandoned Daughter of an Underworld Boss

Unable to stand it any longer, Charon approached and roughly pushed aside the branches with his bare hands.

Only then did the girl, now free, cheerfully speak.

“Thank you! You, too.”

Judging by her appearance and height, she was a small child, but her way of speaking was rough.

Without thinking, Karas asked.

“…… do you live here?”

The girl was wearing a light pink dress with an orange carnelian button. It was obvious at a glance that the dress was made with care.

She didn’t look like a maid at all, and her rare silver hair made Charon suspect something.

It wasn’t that Karas was smitten with the girl at first sight.

‘She’s cute…….’

Unlike Charon, Karas couldn’t see the connection between the owner of Dark Town and this girl and just stood there, dumbfounded.

His gaze was fixed on the girl.

His face was flushing red without him knowing why.

“Lord Karas!”

At that moment.

The voice of Baine, who had gone to escort the emperor, snapped Karas out of his reverie like a splash of cold water.

He wasn’t here to play around.

“Ah.”

“Charon, what are you doing here?”

Charon, with an embarrassed expression, reported the facts as an excuse.

“He wanted to go out into the garden, so I had no choice.”

“Hmm!”

Karas didn’t hate his uncle, the emperor.

How could he? Holding such ill feelings and being discovered could lead to the immediate destruction of his family……

But Baine Dasser was different.

He was someone Karas simply disliked, found disgusting, and didn’t want to be near to. He thought perhaps his uncle might understand his feelings.

The Dasser family was always busy proposing that his mother be exiled or sent as a hostage to a distant country to eliminate any potential threats. The emperor had to use other vassals to quell such suggestions.

Why didn’t they just ask to kill him instead!

Even though the boy’s rebellious eyes scanned him, Baine showed no fear, only responding with a challenging look.

“Shall we head back inside, Lord Karas? If your exploration of the garden is over, that is.”

‘Grr…….’

A blatant provocation. But Karas had no strength to counter it.

He didn’t even know the name of the girl he had just met……

‘He probably thinks it’s easier to keep an eye on me in the reception room, haha.’

Fearing he might be dragged away by the scruff of his neck, Karas quickly spoke up.

“Well, I’ll be going now. Take care. And try to stick to the proper paths. You might get hurt in the thicket.”

He wondered if this little girl would understand what he meant. Even if she spoke clearly, children of her age usually didn’t listen.

“Huh? Okay! Thank you. You too. Oh, wait!”

Snap!

The girl’s small, wiggly fingers grabbed Karas’s collar.

He swore to the heavens……

It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Like rolling a soft, sweet milk treat around his tongue.

Karas’s chin felt like it was on fire.

‘Oh……!’

“You have leaves on your clothes too. Shall I take it off for you?”

The girl plucked off the dried leaf stuck to his clothes.

So cute.

Initially, he had noticed her because of a cat playing in the tree……

Now, he didn’t even see the cat rolling on the ground a little away from the girl’s ankles.

Baine spoke up in slight annoyance.

“…… what are you doing? We should go.”

“Alright.”

He still hadn’t introduced himself.

But Karas thought it was better not to know the girl’s name.

Once he returned to the Empire, he would never see her again, this cute and lovely girl from the Nea Kingdom.

A girl akin to a single flower blooming in this gloomy place called Dark Town. Would he forever remember her name and think of her until his dying breath?

Goodbye.

At that moment, there was a sign of someone approaching.

“Oh?”

“Your Majesty!”

‘Ah……!’

Just as Karas was about to turn around.

Harun, accompanied by another guard, emerged from the main gate and signaled to Asil beside him.

“Is that cute little lady your daughter?”

Indeed, the perception of an adult was different from that of the rather adult-like Karas.

He could tell just by the glimpse of silver hair.

Asil frowned but didn’t scold Yuriana for coming out here.

Innocent Yuriana had done nothing wrong. Besides.

It was clear she hadn’t kissed that…… Karas boy’s cheek knowing anything.

Harun prodded the silent Asil.

“Won’t you introduce her to me?”

“She is my daughter, but she is not someone the distinguished guests need to meet. What use is there in calling a young child to this meeting?”

The emperor exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.

“No! Such hurtful words. When a guest comes to the house, it’s the Empire’s custom to give pocket money and blessings to the host’s adorable children.”

“There is no such law in the Kingdom.”

Harun, unperturbed by Asil’s words trying to push him away, smirked.

“I can tell even without seeing well. Asil, your daughter must be adorable. Am I wrong?”

Unable to hold it in any longer, Asil spoke up.

“I swore to forgive no one who covets my daughter for personal reasons.”

“Whoa…….”

In other words, he was telling him to shut up in a roundabout way.

Even Al, the guard escorting the emperor was taken aback by such bold words, but Harun chuckled.

“Oh! I see. As expected, as a father with a daughter, you have the right mindset. That’s why I like you and this Dark Town. Justice is alive!”

Justice, of all words, in Dark Town?

“…….”

Asil lost the energy to even be angry.

“Haha, let’s stop and go.”

“…… understood.”

Even after Harun had destroyed the slate and left Dark Town, he continued gathering information about the place.

So, of course, he knew the rumors too.

That the leader of Dark Town had suffered a deep wound after a heartbreak but gradually recovered after finding his lost daughter overnight.

‘Hmm, good.’

Following Asil, Harun felt good.

The negotiation they just had was also favorable.

The reason he first initiated the conversation was because of the request of Alice, the Queen of the Kingdom.

But that didn’t matter.

Harun wasn’t particularly interested in Alice.

He wasn’t running into the back alleys of another country like a hungry dog just because she called.

He didn’t even think of mocking Asil by saying,

To be honest.

He had briefly been emotionally drawn to her when he infiltrated the kingdom secretly because of the slate. Not physically, just emotionally.

He swore to the heavens, that was all! Shortly after returning to the Empire, those flimsy feelings ended.

To be exact, he hadn’t thought of her since then.

Harun didn’t care much about his fickle feelings.

Why thought about being charmed by a stranger while traveling? It wasn’t uncommon.

Love was inherently like that.

It was full of unpredictable, uncontrollable events.

He wasn’t sure if he should even count the moment he liked Alice as love now that time had passed.

‘I’ll know tomorrow when I see her.’

That was his indifferent thought.

The real reason he insisted on coming to Dark Town was different.

He wanted to conduct through this place, not through normal channels with the kingdom.

‘Even though the Empire and the Kingdom share a border, there’s no reason to open a direct route. Local lords along the way might attempt something suspicious.’

But if he used Dark Town.

He could efficiently conduct the exact amount of trade needed. Asil seemed capable of managing it well.

Harun, looking at his nephew getting closer, tried to put on a warm smile.

The Empire’s peace wasn’t easily maintained.

There were rebels everywhere using his nephew Karas as an excuse to stir trouble.

Suppressing all those sparks was the priority. Now was not the time.

‘…… if nothing happens until then, I’ll push for my nephew’s independence.’

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty.”

Turning his head at the multiple calls, Baine immediately bowed, and Charon knelt a moment later.

“Why call me Your Majesty so suddenly when it’s been quiet until now.”

Harun smiled as if troubled.

“…… have you arrived?”

‘Oh?’

Karas, who must have just met Asil’s daughter today, hid her behind his back.

This was interesting.

Ignoring the grimace on Asil’s face as he approached, Harun made a joke.

“Playing with a cat in the garden, I see.”

“…….”

His nephew seemed more tense than usual.

Asil strode over and lifted Yuriana, who was hiding behind Karas.

“Aren’t you sleepy?”

“Huh?”

Karas’s confused eyes followed Asil, and he didn’t even notice that Harun was staring at him.

“Your eyes are more than half-closed. You should go inside and take a nap.”

Asil spoke almost forcefully.

Even though he could see the sun setting in the distance, Asil spoke as if he didn’t notice.

“I’m hungry though…….”

Yuriana’s unexpected words were quickly seized by Harun.

“Haha, right. It’s almost dinner time. Hey, little lady. Wouldn’t you like to have dates from the Leaf Empire, cool mango juice, and delicious lokum for dessert? I’d be happy to treat you.”

Squeeze.

“…… Dad?”

Yuriana was surprised by Asil’s sudden tight embrace.

“…….”

“Will you not go? I’d like to enjoy a pleasant dinner with everyone.”