Chapter 2

Matthew carried me all the way to the Harmony Palace.

The table was already loaded with all kinds of delicious food, and I couldn't help but start drooling.

He wiped the drool off my chin with a handkerchief, and that snapped me back to reality.

Matthew set me down in a chair, and David, his personal attendant, helped me wash my hands.

'The king's attendant is actually helping me wash my hands! I can't believe this is happening. I'm on cloud nine!' I thought.

He was Matthew's most trusted and favored attendant.

Matthew cleared his throat, took the handkerchief, and personally helped me wash my hands.

'Oh my god, Father is doing this for me!' I exclaimed inwardly.

I was so excited that I was totally speechless.

Matthew suddenly burst out laughing, clutching his stomach, and I shot him a puzzled look.

'The king really is as unpredictable as they say,' I thought.

"Go ahead and try it. See if you like the taste," Matthew said.

I'd been waiting for him to say that. I eagerly picked up the donut in front of me and, under the stunned gaze of Matthew and David, stuffed the whole thing into my mouth.

"Slow down. No one's going to take it from you," Matthew said.

I nodded, but didn't slow down one bit. In my previous life, I lived for sweets, and I couldn't get enough of them. Now that I finally had something sweet in front of me, not devouring the entire plate at once was my way of showing restraint.

'I wonder if I'll be allowed to take some with me later. After all, who knows when I'll get to eat like this again?' I thought.

Matthew frowned, called David over, and whispered a few words to him. After a brief, quiet exchange, David bowed and left.

As I ate, I noticed Matthew hadn't touched his food. With great reluctance, I picked up the last cheesecake, the one I thought was the most delicious, and placed it on his plate.

'Oh, my last cheesecake... gone forever...' I thought.

Matthew looked like he was holding back a laugh. He broke the cake in two with his own hands and tucked one half into my mouth.

"This is the last piece. Any more, and you might get a stomachache," he said, and then ate the other half himself.

Even though I didn't want it to end, I knew he was right. I savored the final bite slowly and then sat up straight, trying my best to look well-behaved.

He seemed pleased with my obedience.

"Since it's your birthday, is there anything you'd like as a gift?" he asked.

My eyes lit up with excitement, but I held back from saying it outright.

"Just having a meal with you, Father, is already the greatest gift," I said sweetly.

But in my mind, I was thinking differently. 'I want money. The more, the better.'

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd love it if you could visit me more often," I added softly.

'Don't come to me. Just send money and do your parenting duty from a distance. That's all I need!' I screamed inside.

Matthew's face shifted through a whole palette of expressions.

"Alright, I'll make sure to spend more time with you," he said.

My face fell for a split second, but I quickly put on a look of pure delight and said, "Thank you, Father!"

'This is awful...' I thought.

Matthew let out a low chuckle, which startled me.

"It's settled then. I will be sure to come by frequently," he said.

'No... How am I supposed to go back to being a sofa-sprite now?' I groaned in my mind.

Just then, David came in carrying a pastry box. "Your Highness, His Majesty personally ordered me to prepare these treats for you," he announced.

My mood lifted immediately as I took it.

"No more sweets for today," Matthew reminded me.

"I understand," I replied, and then happily waited for Matthew to let me go.

But even after the maids cleared the table and Matthew headed over to his desk, he hadn't dismissed me yet.

I couldn't help but throw David a few sneaky looks. Then I quietly slid off my chair, ready to sneak away with my pastry box.

"Where are you going?" Matthew called out.

I froze right where I was.

"You're working, Father, so I figured I shouldn't bother you. I'll just head out," I said.

Matthew chuckled. "You really are sharp. Alright, you may go."

'Hooray!' I cheered inwardly.

Matthew rubbed his temples, looking thoroughly exasperated.

After I left, he turned to David and asked, "Go look into it. What exactly is a sofa-sprite?"

*****

I didn't care about the commotion I'd left behind in the palace. Clutching my pastry box tightly, I practically skipped all the way back to my own quarters in Serenity Palace.

Not long after I got back, my mother Evelyn had her maid Ruby call me over.

I knew trouble was coming my way. After stashing my pastry box, I headed to my mother's side hall with Lucy.

As soon as I walked in, I plopped down on the divan and said, "So, what's up? Why'd you call me over?"

My mother looked pretty displeased with how casual I was. She frowned and said, "Is this how a princess should behave when meeting the king?"

I nodded, realizing she'd gotten some news and was hoping for a son again.

We just stared at each other for a long moment before she finally said, "You know, because of you, I lost the chance to have a son."

I almost laughed to myself. Good thing I was six and had my own quarters. Now I didn't have to watch my words so carefully anymore.

"Lady Evelyn, you're joking. I was destined to be a girl the moment I showed up in your belly. No point fooling yourself anymore," I said.

My mother's hand shook as she pointed at me with her handkerchief. After all, this was the first time I'd ever stood up to her.

"Why are you acting so out of line? Get over here!" she scolded.

She marched over and jerked me forward, and I was thrust before a shrine with a portrait.

I was stunned. My mother had some nerve. Setting up a private memorial in the palace was a serious offense. She was practically asking to be punished.

But I wasn't going to let her ruin my peaceful life. I needed to find a way out of this.

"Say sorry to him for what you just said," she demanded.

There was no need to ask who "him" was. Of course she meant the son she'd always imagined having.

She was wrong if she thought she could bully me just because I was small. I suddenly lunged forward, pretending to lose my balance, and crashed right into that shrine.

I wouldn't just do as she wanted.

"No! You wicked child. What have you done? Are you trying to kill him all over again?" she shrieked, and then collapsed in a faint as Ruby cried out in alarm.

I stood up calmly. This was beyond mere drama.

"Lucy, go fetch the royal physician to check on Lady Evelyn. See if she's lost her mind or something," I said.

Without another word, I turned and walked straight back to my own quarters.

No one was going to disrupt my peace, not even the woman who gave birth to me but never truly cared for me.