I Became the Abandoned Daughter of an Underworld Boss

After a brief farewell, they truly parted ways.

“Goodbye, for real.”

“Mm…!”

It was strange. Karas’s expression wavered with an unidentifiable complexity as he teleported away.

Did he dislike saying goodbye, or did he like it?

Did I hug him for no reason? Did I meddle again?

Yuriana had spent days pondering these thoughts, lost in such misunderstandings.

* * *

Winter came earlier to Dark Town than to the nearby capital.

Perhaps it was due to the forest, desert, and mountains that bordered it.

But Yuriana was doing well.

The meticulous care of Levina and the occasional attention from Asil made her feel less lonely.

‘The memories of wandering the alleys with Lulu searching for scraps feel so distant now.’

Recalling the past made her curious about things she had previously ignored.

Leticia, whom she had met back then, had been too neglectful in her care of Yuriana to answer any questions.

‘Hmm…’

But since Leticia and Levina’s personalities were so different, she hesitated to ask outright.

“What’s the matter, Miss?”

Levina, who no longer needed to look closely at her imperial language textbook, approached with a smile.

Should she really ask?

“You know, Levina.”

“Yes?”

“Well… if I ask this, I feel like you’ll hold your back and faint again!”

“No way!”

“Then I’ll tell you in my room.”

Levina, thinking Yuriana was joking, responded with a laugh.

“Alright.”

The bed had already been replaced with a slightly larger size.

It wasn’t intentional, but Levina had reported that Yuriana occasionally, just occasionally, spun like a windmill in her sleep.

Go, Windmill Yuriana!

As Levina sat down, Yuriana puckered her small lips.

“Just before I came here, I met a slave hunter. What happened to him? He didn’t just get released, did he?”

Oh, my God!

Levina staggered slightly but didn’t faint as Yuriana had expected.

Instead, she asked in disbelief.

“Miss, have you been remembering that all this time?”

“Of course! I even remember the big sack he was carrying. I remember what my dad said when he came to this room in the Dark House. He told me to eat well and live on my own. And also…”

“Miss, hold on.”

“… you know.”

“Yes?”

Levina now felt like her heart would drop whenever Yuriana started a sentence with .

“When we go to the kingdom, will Chef Sheldon and Leticia be there?”

Seeing Levina hesitate to answer quickly made Yuriana doubt their survival.

Sheldon was good at cooking, but Paul, who came after him, didn’t even open his mouth. And talkative Benny never said a word about Leticia.

Yuriana didn’t mind her current monotonous and peaceful life.

At first, it was hard being the abandoned daughter of the Dark Town boss.

‘Dad… I survived because of Lulu sent by Asil. He came running when he heard me scream when I was almost kidnapped. And I’m protected here in the Dark House. Wanting more would be greedy.’

It would be a lie to say there were no shortcomings compared to her previous life as Yuri.

But she was content in her own way.

Moreover, seeing how things were going recently, it seemed like the Empire and Dark Town had promised some sort of close exchange.

‘People who seem to be from the Empire keep coming and leaving gifts in the front yard.’

There were fragrant fruits, unique scented oils, and bags of tea leaves she had enjoyed before.

Asil knew Yuriana often—almost every day—hovered near the main house, but he let her be.

He was doing well too.

The biggest worry, that Asil might go mad from not being able to forget Alice, didn’t seem to be happening.

So, it wasn’t surprising that Yuriana became more curious about things around her.

‘Living in the capital of the kingdom would obviously be nice, but Dark Town will also prosper and improve. Regardless of whether Sheldon and Leticia adapt. If rumors spread, wouldn’t they come out of curiosity?’

Levina finally composed herself and made an excuse.

“Of course. We just haven’t found them yet.”

“Hmph…”

She planned to avoid the topic as much as possible. Even if her young lady became a bit sad when she eventually found out.

Well… many people knew that those two were dead, especially in the main house nearby.

Everyone just kept quiet because Yuriana was a beloved young lady.

‘I need to watch Benny. And Paul too.’

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, Yuriana smiled mischievously.

“And you know what?”

“What else?”

“Dad said he would be away from the Dark House for a few days. Is that true?”

“Where did you… oh, did you hear that?”

Levina, who had unknowingly spoken harshly, pressed her palm with her nails.

Before disciplining others, she needed to control her own emotions.

“I heard Benny talking to the other servants. Not Chef Paul, but the other maids who wander around the main house.”

Lately, Yuriana wondered if she was better at hiding her presence than others.

She had overheard more than a few conversations this way.

‘At this rate, I’ll become the great thief, Yuriana! I’ll be a thief who makes the Empire adjacent to the kingdom tremble!’

Levina sighed deeply.

“Miss, you’re really impossible. Yes, it’s true.”

“Really?”

“Boss doesn’t usually leave Dark Town. But sometimes, there are adult matters. Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous or unsettling. Just stay here, which is the best way to support the boss.”

“Okay, sure.”

This was the important question.

Since the autumn gathering, Alice and Asil hadn’t met. At least not in Dark Town.

In the meantime, Asil being away for a few days had made her secretly worried.

It seemed natural then, but thinking back, it was strange.

Why didn’t Aidan come? They were married, after all.

Where the needle went, the thread followed. But Alice went, and Aidan didn’t? That was a bit unnatural.

‘I’m curious about the atmosphere in the Nea Palace.’

Thinking about the palace led to other thoughts.

When was her birthday?

The late queen must have known, and King Aidan would surely know too.

When Queen Amira had her baby, there had been a lot of commotion, so there must be records.

‘… but if my birth is revealed, it would cause huge trouble. Celebrating my birthday just for a day isn’t worth the turmoil it would cause.’

Yuriana had been unwittingly caught up in a commission between Amira and the Dark Elf faction.

A completely innocent victim.

But others in the palace wouldn’t see it that way.

Moreover, Yuriana’s biological father was Asil.

If the truth came out, they’d make up lies and accuse Asil of being involved.

Should she live without knowing her birthday?

If she investigated, she could probably guess the month.

Asil could backtrack the events and find out. But she didn’t want to.

Maybe she should just forget about her birthday. Every day was about survival in Dark Town anyway.

‘Anyway, I’ll be seven next year.’

She hoped Karas was doing well.

She remembered the feeling of hugging him when they parted.

He was boyish. Neither too firm nor too soft, his body was sturdy.

Though he didn’t hug her back… goodbye, Karas. Even if they never met again, stay healthy.

Winter deepened in the Dark House.

Peaceful days continued, and the end of the year and the new year were approaching.

Asil quietly called Levina for the first time in a while. Given he asked her to come during Yuriana’s nap, it seemed like a long conversation was ahead.

Recently, Levina had been using two discreet and obedient maids to make reports.

She wanted to stay by Yuriana’s side more as her desire to do things for her grew.

Asil visited Yuriana at least once or twice a week.

Sometimes they ate together, and other times he watched her from afar before leaving.

During such moments, he often muttered curses under his breath.

‘Damn Emperor, I have no time to play with my daughter because of your demands.’

“Boss.”

“It’s been a while, Levina.”

He placed a thick envelope and a pouch on the table.

The sound of coins clinking from the pouch was unmistakable.

“Yuriana has grown a lot. Take it, and slowly prepare spring clothes and necessary items for her. The winter coat will last until next year.”

Such generous words from Asil, known for his thriftiness!

More surprising was how he seemed to know Yuriana’s clothing situation so well.

Levina was moved to tears.

“Boss…! How did you know…!”

Even if he came to see her occasionally, he must have paid close attention to everything about her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t know.

Asil continued nonchalantly.

“And.”

“… yes?”

“About Yuriana’s birthday, how about setting it in January? People consider January the most auspicious. Don’t tell her in advance but prepare a birthday celebration for the new year. What do you think?”

Overwhelm.

Joy.

Liberation.

Levina felt all these emotions at once, not knowing what to do.

If possible, she wanted to climb the bell tower and hit the bell with her head out of joy.

Of course, doing so would be fatal, so it wasn’t an option.

Levina, almost in tears, replied.

“Boss…! Of course, I’ll prepare the birthday celebration. But it would be even better if you came and congratulated her in person.”

“…… okay.”

Asil still had the clip he had received as a gift from Yuriana a while ago.

Of course there were better things, but this was the first cute and strange gift his daughter had ever given him.

It was precious.

‘Ha…….’

He should smile, because good days would come.

The moment the word gift came to mind, the annoying contents of the letter Harun had sent him last month also came to mind.