Goddess Kingmaker Chapter 16

“I will make sure that they never enter this place again. If necessary, I will even post guards to make sure that the children do not leave Clayton Palace.”

 

“There’s no need for that.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“As you guys said, since these kids are used to running around all the time, there’s no place better than here. It looks like everything is already broken and there’s nothing to break.”

 

“…..”

 

The Grand Duke and Duchess, who had been staring blankly at the unsmiling Emperor, slowly blinked. No way… it couldn’t be.

 

A faint smile appeared on their faces, their thoughts clearly visible.

 

“Y-Your Majesty, are you saying—”

 

“Switch the palaces.”

 

“……”

 

“Starting today, Clayton Palace and Layton Palace will be swapped. That should solve everything.”

 

The Emperor’s tone was casual but firm. It sounded like a minor suggestion, but there was no mistaking—it was an unchangeable order.

 

“Oh, this is ridiculous, Your Majesty. How can you allow our children to live in a place like this?”

 

“Then shall I offer up my own palace instead?”

 

“Ugh!”

 

The Grand Duchess clamped her mouth shut at the terrifying suggestion—something that could easily be seen as treason.

 

Not wanting to waste any more time, the Emperor turned away without hesitation.

 

“Switch the palaces immediately. Just switch places—easy enough.”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

 

“Cancel the banquet. Not like going there will bring my appetite back anyway.”

 

As the Emperor left without a second glance, all the palace staff bowed deeply. Everyone looked around nervously, unsure of what to say.

 

Then, not long after, an ear-piercing scream came out.

 

“Ahhhhh! No! You want me to stay in a den like this! I absolutely hate it!”

 

“Me neither! I want to go home! Waaaah!”

 

“Can’t you be quiet?!”

 

Erno, who had been barely restraining himself, clenched his fists and glared at his sons like he could kill them.

 

But the Grand Duchess wasn’t one to just sit back.

 

“How can you blame only the children? Who brought us here to try to catch His Majesty’s eye on this occasion? Not only Thebes and Harmel, but any child would not be able to endure being in such a suffocating place!”

 

“Are you saying that now?”

 

Eventually, it escalated into a fight between the couple, and their voices became uncontrollably loud. The sons, who were the only ones capable of stopping the fight, got involved in the fight early.

 

“I really didn’t do that! It wasn’t me….Yeah! That’s what my brother! There’s no one else who would do that but my brother!”

 

“Wanna die? You think I don’t know what you did?!”

 

“Who doesn’t know?!”

 

“……”

 

Yup. They’ll never know.

 

I shrugged my shoulders and watched the four of them fighting with considerable interest.

 

As I was about to lean out to get a closer look, Roen, who had finished preparing everything, whispered in my ear.

 

“Baby, shall we go to our new house now?”

 

“Aaang.”

 

My sister’s got her priorities straight.

 

While I’d been watching the drama, she’d packed everything up perfectly. With me in one hand and a bag in the other, Roen headed out.

 

Thebes and Harmel, who were rolling around on the floor as if they were going to kill each other, looked up at me.

 

“W-Where are you going?!”

 

Where do you think?

 

I waved my tiny hand and even gave them a cheeky little flick of my tongue.

 

Congrats, my little troublemakers! Welcome to the Gonjiam experience!

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

Yup, life’s all about fresh starts—with a new house and new family!

 

The newly assigned Clayton Palace was beyond grand—so magnificent it made Gonjiam look like a shack.

 

From the moment the Grand Duchess became pregnant, she had already chosen it as the palace for her child, and everything I saw was dazzling and sparkling.

 

‘Totally covered in money.’

 

Even if her family was rich, it wasn’t like this was their own home. It was shocking how much effort went into furnishing a place they’d only visit occasionally.

 

‘Well, it won’t be bad for me.’

 

“Baby, look at this!”

 

“Huh?”

 

Roen didn’t seem to mind either.

 

“The bed and sheets… they melt at a touch!”

 

Actually, she might be loving this even more.

 

“This is the nicest place I’ve ever seen. I entered the palace as a maid and met Parma right away, so…”

 

“Aaang!”

 

Don’t worry. Meeting me means you’re not unlucky!

 

I patted Roen on the back, who had been struggling to adjust to this splendid palace for several days.

 

‘If you’re already like this, how are you gonna handle what’s coming?’

 

After all, this palace dipped in gold isn’t my final goal. I want to be all-powerful, untouchable, the kind of being no one dares to mess with.

 

“Okay, baby. Put some strength in your legs now!”

 

“Aang.”

 

Lately, Roen’s been obsessed with making me practice walking.

 

She believes I got bullied by the other kids at Layton Palace because I couldn’t move fast enough.

 

“Right leg first. Slowly add some strength, okay?”

 

“Ah….”

 

It’s hard, pretending not to be able to walk.

 

As I watched Roen slowly step forward as if demonstrating, I felt a sense of vertigo for the first time in a while.

 

Seeing Roen’s sincerity, I thought I would take at least one step, but I wasn’t sloppy.

 

Not yet! Gotta kill off all suspicions!

 

“Wahh!”

 

“Baby!”

 

Roen quickly picked me up and hugged me as I collapsed on the floor.

 

My sister, who had blown on me first, wiped my eyes with an expression of pain on her face.

 

“I’m so sorry, baby. It was because of my greed.”

 

“Owie.”

 

“But from now on, if someone bothers the baby, you have to run away quickly. So, even though it’s hard, let’s try one more time. Come on, put strength in your legs!”

 

“……”

 

My sister’s more of a tough-love mom type than she looks.

 

As soon as Roen set me down and pulled her hands away from under my armpits, I couldn’t just pretend anymore.

 

I put all my effort into pretending to keep my balance, arms outstretched like I was about to fall.

 

“Aang? Aaang?”

 

“That’s it! Good job, baby!”

 

Roen was excited when she saw me standing alone for a few seconds, my shoulders swaying.

 

In fact, this kind of hard labor wasn’t something I couldn’t do.

 

“Okay, now say ‘ah’!”

 

“Ah!”

 

See, this is why I do it—rewards!

 

“Aaang!”

 

As I was biting into the condensed milk jelly that Roen had put in my mouth, all the strength left my body and I wanted to just lie down on the floor.

 

‘Not bad. This kind of life.’

 

Although the difficulty level was high, I was proud of the life where the value of my labor was recognized.

 

After months of eating bland, flavorless porridge, that sweet jelly felt like a whole new world opening up.

 

“Is it that delicious?”

 

“Aang!”

 

“Then, while we’re at it, should we try one more simple exercise?”

 

“…..”

 

‘Nope. I take it back. This life sucks.’

 

I had barely finished enjoying my sugar rush when Roen, already preparing for the next stage, made cold sweat beads on my forehead.

 

I shook my head and plopped down on my butt, trying to inch away, but it was too late—Roen had already brought over a large basin full of water.

 

“Huh?”

 

Okay, at least it wasn’t walking practice. But still, what did she expect me to do with this?

 

When I dipped my fingertips in the water and pretended to wash my face, Roen, who had been smiling softly, suddenly turned serious.

 

“That’s not it, baby.”

 

Oh, really?

 

“In a few months, there will be a test to see if the baby can use the power of water. Even though His Majesty has declared the baby to be his bloodline, we cannot be at ease with that much.”

 

“……”

 

Come to think of it, Roen did have a tendency to believe whatever she wanted.

 

When we first came to Clayton Palace, she said, ‘His Majesty’s heart seems to be swayed little by little by the baby.’

 

The next day, she changed it to, ‘His Majesty seems to be strongly attracted to bloodline.’

 

And by the day after that, it became, ‘He’s officially declared you his blood to everyone.’

 

Still, I couldn’t exactly blame Roen for being reckless.

 

‘You must have been anxious, my sister.’

 

She was just worried I might not actually be of royal blood.

 

I understood where she was coming from, so I’d played along to an extent.

 

But now, with this basin of water, I truly had no idea what she wanted me to do.

 

“Okay, baby. Do you have any idea what to do now?”

 

“……”

 

Seriously? You don’t even know and you expect me to figure it out?

 

Faced with such a kind but unreliable leader, I deflated.

 

Thinking about it, I remembered that the emperor who had poured water on me when we first met, and even Harmel and Thebes who had invaded from Leyton Palace had drawn thin streams of water from their fingertips.

 

“Take it!”

 

“Ha! Bet someone like Castiel, who stutters, couldn’t even try this?”

 

Then it seems like they really have the emperor’s bloodline.

 

I scrunch my nose with a twinge of jealousy.

 

Anyway, I know that the ability to inherit the royal bloodline exists, but until my last life, I was just an ordinary citizen from South Korea.

 

‘I’ve only seen things like this in cartoons.’

 

Although I had the power of a god in the divine realm, my power was the attribute of fire.

 

I was born from its hottest flames, so water and I were probably natural enemies.

 

‘Ugh, why’d it have to be water?’

 

I licked my lips in regret, wondering if it was possible for me to have so little luck.

 

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can use the power of a god as I please.

 

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