I Became the Abandoned Daughter of an Underworld Boss

“Uh…!”

“A simple greeting should be fine, right? Isn’t that so, Asil?”

Levina, who had been hesitating, gently placed Yuriana down.

The foreign girl was truly beautiful.

Tonight, under the moonlit sky, she seemed even more unforgettable.

Karas decided to just greet her instead of saying goodbye.

“Good night.”

There was no way he could come to the kingdom to see Yuriana on his own terms.

If he had one regret…

It was that he didn’t get a proper look at Yuriana wearing the sapphire pendant around her neck earlier.

She must have looked so pretty. He should have appreciated the moment more.

If the current emperor, his uncle, had a son and that son ended up with Yuriana…

Then… could Karas ever look her in the eye?

‘This is our first and last meeting.’

When he saw her through the bushes, he regretted not saying everything he wanted to, not treating her more warmly.

“Yeah! Good night. Your name… it’s Karas, right?”

“Yes.”

“Go inside and sleep now, Yuriana. It’s late.”

“Good night, Dad.”

Yuriana ran to Asil and rubbed her head against his large hand. When she tugged at his collar, Asil knelt down for her.

“Why… hm!”

Smooch.

Her cute and moist lips touched his cheek. A goodnight kiss from his daughter.

Yes. This was it.

He smiled triumphantly and signaled Levina with a glance to hurry.

“Well, our guests must be tired, so please rest well. Million, please guide them.”

“… yes!”

Asil’s overly raised mouth corners even made Million a bit embarrassed.

The next day.

It was an incredibly sunny day.

There was only one reason he couldn’t easily utter, “The weather is nice.” He was troubled.

‘Alice.’

As he sat quietly, Million rushed into the office.

“Boss, we’ve received news. The disguised queen has reached the outskirts of Dark Town and has just entered. She appears to be accompanied by about ten people. They all seem to be knights, without any maids.”

“Disguised… I see.”

At that time, Asil didn’t think much of the report about the .

What he was concerned about was how Aidan would react to this visit later.

The queen, accompanied by ten royal knights. He couldn’t be unaware.

It didn’t feel good that he didn’t come in with them.

Asil rose when Alice was close to Dark House and greeted her.

And he was taken aback.

Despite his repeated self-reassurances, he still loved Alice to some extent.

The problem was that even in his eyes, Alice’s appearance was utterly inappropriate.

“Greetings?”

With many onlookers, Alice used formal language, but her appearance… showed no intention of disguise.

Her lips were painted red, her cheeks were flushed with a rosy hue.

Her eyes were heavily made up, and she was dressed in a pure white robe. She didn’t even attempt to wear a wig.

What was she up to?

Asil didn’t even have time to scold himself for his rude thoughts.

“Shall we go now?”

“Yes! Please.”

Alice seemed very happy.

In the reception room with the curtains drawn, Harun’s thoughts were not much different from Asil’s.

‘Unbelievable.’

But as an emperor, he couldn’t bluntly criticize another nation’s queen.

How could he comment on her attire? It might unnecessarily strain relations with the Nea Kingdom.

As the meeting began, Asil spoke.

“I shall take my leave now.”

Alice said nothing, but Harun was different.

His eyes became as sharp as a seasoned lion’s.

“Stay.”

“… what?”

When they met yesterday, Harun had given Asil a signal for some request or meeting.

Without receiving a complete answer, he was now asked to stay for today’s meeting?

Alice’s puzzled eyes followed, but Harun spoke leisurely.

“The boss of Dark Town shouldn’t be unaware of what’s happening here, should he? It’s unthinkable. I want to follow the rules of this place as much as possible.”

“Oh! His Majesty the Emperor is right.”

Agreeing as if she had just remembered, Alice expressed her approval as if it had been her idea all along.

“The queen agrees as well.”

“… understood.”

Although he wanted to avoid spending more time with Alice, it was official business.

Asil decided not to look at her.

Soon, cups of tea were placed before the three.

Harun, adept at leading conversations, skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

“So, what does the queen of the kingdom wish to say to me?”

In retrospect, it was Alice’s side that had been rude.

She had asked for a meeting with the emperor without stating her purpose.

The emperor had stubbornly decided not to go to the capital, which was Alice’s request.

Alice responded in a clear voice.

“Why didn’t you come to the capital? It would have been better for both of us.”

“…”

Harun’s expression didn’t change, but Baine Dasser, who was standing guard, showed his displeasure with his eyes.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Alice, who was only looking at Harun, didn’t notice.

Harun spoke slowly.

“Ah… well, it takes more effort to restore the paths than one might think. Isn’t that so? It’s complicated to restore the roads as in the previous emperor’s time. It would be difficult for now, so I hope we can discuss it later.”

Even though he was clearly refusing, Alice didn’t give up her stubbornness.

Her emerald eyes, filled with star-like conviction, had little effect.

“That’s unfortunate. I thought Nea Kingdom and the Reef Empire were ready to be close friends.”

‘Hmm…’

Harun, who was temperamental than Baine, was already in a bad mood. He hadn’t even had a sip of tea yet.

The empire was in turmoil over the succession to the throne.

No matter how much Harun tried, it would take at least a few more years for stability.

He didn’t think the queen of another country would be unaware of this.

… if she truly didn’t know, that would be an even bigger problem.

Moreover, they had talked unofficially before.

Even so, her words were too direct.

Harun felt slightly disappointed.

‘The Alice in my memory was beautiful but not particularly wise. She used to jump into things without gauging her capabilities, like a moth to a flame. It was tolerated because the crown prince looked after her. Could it be that even as a queen, she relies solely on her husband and acts as she pleases?’

As Harun remained silent, Alice decided to reveal one of her cards.

She smiled and placed something on the table.

“Look at this.”

‘This…’

Asil, being from the kingdom, quickly recognized what it was and was shocked.

Nea Kingdom wasn’t insignificant.

One of the reasons was this.

The Star Stone, mined exclusively in Nea Kingdom, even in small quantities!

The star-shaped stone, rare and pure white, was more of a mineral than a jewel and could be used as a substitute for magic stones. Moreover, it was of high quality.

It was strictly forbidden to take star stones out of the kingdom, and all the mines were royal property.

So, Aidan would know about this.

‘Why did Alice bring this?’

Alice tried to soothe Harun with a voice that could melt a sharp iron sword.

“The kingdom desires a close relationship with the empire. Even if it’s difficult now, please consider it for the future. Remember, this is from Alice’s heart.”

‘Hah.’

Harun despised bribes, especially those forbidden by national law.

If he had accepted even one of such items during the late emperor’s reign, he wouldn’t have survived.

‘Does the king know about the queen’s intentions and allow it? What are they thinking? Blinded by love, crazy, or uninterested in maintaining the throne? … is there another reason beyond these three?

The smile disappeared from his lips in an instant.

Asil sensed from Harun’s expression that this meeting would not end well.

Even he found it hard to understand.

Why was Alice being so unreasonable? Was there something that absolutely required interaction with the empire?

‘I really don’t understand.’

It was at that moment.

Unexpected words came from Harun’s silent lips.

“Alright.”

“…… pardon?”

“Your Majesty!”

Despite Baine’s question, Harun responded readily.

“We will consider establishing formal relations with the Nea Kingdom. However, I cannot guarantee that we will have such meetings once the relationship is restored.”

His words were so significant that they made everyone present uneasy.

Except for one person.

Alice, who offered the Star Stone, just smiled brightly.

“Oh my! That’s wonderful. As expected of Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“Indeed.”

“Our people will surely be moved when they accept the empire’s long-standing history and culture. This is truly joyous news.”

Asil, being from the Nea Kingdom, felt a surge of resistance within him.

It wasn’t just flattery. This side was conceding too much. No, it looked more like they were eager to jump into the arms of the empire.