After several days, they coordinated a conversation with Lady Flysher.
She agreed to the birth of a new daughter.
"It's only natural since she'll be the Empress."
Navia, having finished preparing to go out, stood in front of Lark's bedroom and knocked.
"Dad?"
Click.
The door opened automatically, and the original desolate atmosphere of the head of the family's bedroom was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an antique setting.
A tea table for drinking tea with his daughter, cabinets for displaying gifts, portraits, and photographs from his daughter.
There was also a console with a vase and a space dedicated to remembering Camilla, emitting a 'lived-in' feel.
"Come in and wait a bit."
Lark was standing in front of a full-length mirror, neatly combing his hair.
Navia sat in a nearby chair, watching Lark comb his hair and adjust his cravat.
With his hair combed back, his fierce eyes were fully exposed, giving a cold and arrogant impression, seemingly more authoritative.
Perhaps the slight frown on his face, as if something was not to his liking, made it seem even more so.
Navia, sensing something unusual in his frown, spoke.
"Since we're going to join hands with the Emperor today, please tolerate him even if he gets a bit annoying. Okay?"
Lark was not in a good mood, as her promise to not work for a week had fallen through.
"It's all because of those royal fools."
He knew well that wreaking havoc on them would lead to difficult consequences.
In fact, during his many lifetimes, he had overturned the royal family as he wished, becoming a public enemy several times.
At times, the empire split in half, inviting frequent invasions from external forces, and even leading to global wars, which he experienced thousands of times, realizing that it was not something a person should do.
"I, with my deep patience, must endure."
Had Navia heard him, she would have likely said, "Hmm. I see..." and nonchalantly ignored his brazen thought.
Lark grumbled as he finished dressing.
"To anyone watching, it'd seem like you're my parent. Always saying this can't be done, that can't be done."
"Well, it's because Dad always does things that warrant that. And I don't want to be Dad's parent, it seems too hard..."
Navia hoped that if she ever has a child, she would prefer not to have one with a personality like her father's.
"Unless it's Creed."
Sweet and kind Creed.
Navia pondered over delicious snacks to share with Creed on her way back from going out as she got up from the chair.
"Let's go now."
Today, they were scheduled to meet Emperor Ulrich secretly and discuss the issues concerning Sophia.
"Perhaps the Emperor also intends to check what divine power Dad possesses."
To the Emperor, who had lived as the master of the world, Lark's unconventional power must have felt terrifying and dreadful.
He surely wanted to confirm whether Lark was a person who could become an ally or, if an enemy, someone he could confront.
The carriage quickly left the capital.
They had agreed to meet not at the imperial palace but at a mansion outside the capital.
The carriage stopped at a small and tranquil mansion.
A knight who recognized Lark and Navia led them to a room.
Inside were Ulrich and his concubine, Sophia, and their young daughter, Monica.
Navia greeted them respectfully.
"I am honored to meet Your Majesty, the Emperor."
"Ah, yes."
Ulrich's gaze fell on Lark. His expression, though merely looking on, was filled with tension.
Lark greeted him as if granting a favor.
"I am honored to meet Your Majesty, the Emperor."
This act was like a declaration of, "I'll behave within the bounds of common sense."
Ulrich finally looked relieved.
"Welcome, Duke. This is my wife, Sophia, and Monica."
Monica, who was just six years old, had ash-grey hair and blue eyes like the Emperor.
She was the spitting image of the Emperor in appearance and seemed very arrogant.
"Who is that lady?"
Her fierce expression and sharp tone seemed to reveal Monica's personality.
Sophia, with her gentle appearance and calm demeanor, seemed hardly similar.
Navia greeted with a smile.
"I am Navia Eseled, honored to meet Monica, who will be the future Princess of the Empire."
Monica raised her eyebrows.
"I'm not a princess?"
"Monica."
Eventually, Sophia interjected, looking embarrassed, to stop her daughter.
Monica's personality was remarkable.
"I hate to speak of things that aren't true!"
Ulrich smiled slightly at his daughter's statement.
"Well, you're not a princess yet. But soon, you will be the most noble lady, Monica."
Even though it was clear that the Emperor was pettily referring to Monica as the most noble lady in front of Navia, Lark found such childish squabbles too tiring to engage in.
"What a nuisance, this petty wordplay. Let's get to the main point," Lark said, annoyed and bored.
Ulrich clenched his fist at his rudeness, while Sophia looked anxious.
Only Monica seemed intrigued, her expression as if saying, 'Oh?'
Navia remembered what kind of person Monica was.
'She was very similar to Dad...'
She remembered Monica's innate brute strength, prone to destroying things around her when upset, and her distaste for cunning people.
'That's why she always had a terrible relationship with Ares.'
Navia quietly smiled as she explained the content of her consultation with Mrs. Flysher.
"As soon as the official documents are ready, you can call Lady Sophia and Lady Monica to the royal palace."
After confirming a few more issues and roughly concluding the consultation, they proceeded with the contract with the magician.
"Then, I will take my leave now."
At that moment, Ulrich called Lark over.
"May I have a word with you?"
Although Lark seemed slightly annoyed, he complied willingly with his request.
Once Ulrich had everyone else leave the mansion so that no one could overhear their conversation, leaving only Lark, he asked directly.
"What kind of being are you?"
Lark thought to himself that this guy always had a good sense, as he picked up a branch of flowers laid in front of him.
The slender branch with red flowers hanging from it suddenly lost its vitality and withered completely.
Ulrich already felt a chill from that sight.
But that was not the end.
The flower branch, which had shriveled up completely and lost its original form, seemed to absorb new life and returned to its normal state.
As Lark repositioned the flower branch in the vase, Ulrich realized he had been holding his breath.
Lark said nonchalantly,
"Let's just say I am something like this."
Magic had nothing to do with life force. Therefore, the power Lark demonstrated was not magic.
If it's not magic, then what kind of being could possess such transcendent power?
'Could this person really be a god...!'
Ulrich felt a cold sweat running down his back.
It was frightening.
The fact that such an entity was living and breathing in his empire was terrifying.
"...I need to revise my question. Are you a being friendly to humans?"
Friendly to humans?
Lark tilted his head slightly.
"As long as my daughter exists in this world."
To Ulrich's surprise, he felt a strange sense of kinship in those words.
It seemed that even this dreadful being cared for its child in the same way.
Of course, he himself wouldn't go as far as to destroy the royal palace and oppress the royal family for his child's sake.
Lark spoke indifferently.
"I must go now, my daughter is waiting."
Ulrich's business was not yet finished.
"What about ensuring a firmer collusion between Eseled and the royal family?"
His suggestion sounded more like a plea than a proposal.
Lark thought of Creed, who was waiting at home, at those words.
To him, Navia currently seemed to regard Creed as nothing more than a puppy picked up in the rain.
However, Lark, seasoned by many lifetimes of experience, thought that if Navia had already allowed him that close, it wouldn't be long before she might consider him as a husband.
'After all, unless Creed goes mad, there's no way he wouldn't fall for Navia.'
Not just because she's my daughter, but Navia was flawless in beauty, intelligence, and personality.
What would Creed think upon seeing such a Navia?
'He's already lost his mind over Navia.'
Maybe after thoroughly trampling the family name, it would be possible to bring Creed together with her? Lark shrugged his shoulders and gave a vague answer.
"Sure, if I get the chance."
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Lok, Dad knows that the ship is gonna sail
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