"Are you all blind now? Your prince is hungry. Quickly give him his milk!", the Emperor's booming voice filled the once quiet room.

The servants quickly dispersed to obey his command. While they were busy running back to her quarters, Ophelia only watched the interactions between the Emperor and her burrito all the while filling up her empty stomach.

Instead of ignoring the pitiful Peter, the Emperor placed his fork down and gently pick him up into his arms to coax him. Their interactions were smooth and without any awkwardness in between. Now that Ophelia had noticed it. Both father and son seemed to be very well accustomed to one another.

Not like they never before. But during the times the Emperor made contact with Peter both sides seemed to be in a war against one another. Of course, it was a one-sided war that was mostly in favour of the baby. With the teasing, she wasn't quite sure whether the Emperor felt a sense of kinship towards the baby.

He had numerous concubines and although they were no rumours of him favouring any of them it doesn't mean he doesn't. He was a man capable of anything. A simple rumour wouldn't stand in his way. Especially if the previous Emperor was well known for his lustful towards his concubines and any woman he comes across with. The number of his children were just crazy. This doesn't include his children that weren't acknowledged by the Royal family.

If they were to add up together...

Well, let's not talk about something that is beyond her help.

If rumours about the apple doesn't fall far away from the tree were to surface, perhaps history will once again repeat.

Ophelia's sight never left the father and son while her fork spoons more food into her mouth. The father and son must have felt the stare because they were both looked up towards her. Even when they did, Ophelia only continues on eating.

Seeing how the mother barely cared for her own child, the two furrowed their eyebrows in displeasure. Ophelia almost chokes on her food when she realized how alike they were of one another. If only Peter hadn't inherited her crimson eyes, he would look exactly like the Emperor. Just miniature and wearing diapers.

The two of them held their gaze on her. They were expecting her to at least fuss around Peter but, instead of winning him back, her hand that momentarily halted continue back on the task at hand. Filling up her stomach.

He was already taking care of Burrito. What else did he expect her to do?

She knew that her actions were an embarrassment to her teachers. They could lose their hair (if they had any) if they saw her right now. She was breaking every rule of etiquette right in front of the most powerful man in the continent.

As soon as she realized that, she cough to remind herself she was eating with the Emperor who could easily kill her off if he wants.

"Now, Peter. Let's not disturb the Emperor while he's eating", Ophelia reached out to take the burrito from the Emperor but the man held Peter closer to him.

"It's alright."

Well, that was surprising.

During situations like this, Ophelia would have shrugged and let the other person be. Peter had also made no noise of rejection and he was still within her plain sight. She sees no other reasons to refuse his wishes. Also, she sees nothing on the table to could hold her baby hostage against her. She hopes.

But, it was the Emperor she's fighting Peter for. The least she could do is to act like a caring mother not knowing that both father and son saw how she prefer the food on her plate than anything else.

"But I insist, Your Imperial Majesty."

"I said it's fine."

"If you insist", she replied too quickly for a worried mother and wife. If that was not obvious enough, there was a slight smile on her face when she looked back down to her meal.

Both father and son were utterly speechless. The Emperor was about to argue more about it to her but he held back his words after seeing Sandhya walking in the dining room with Peter's bottle of milk.

He took the bottle without a word. Peter who's in his embrace reached out for the bottle and drank the milk hungrily. Sandhya who stood right behind Ophelia had her head down the whole time however that didn't obstruct her from seeing what was happening. Sandhya felt as if she was in another world or perhaps she had died and she was in heaven.

Or hell. Depending on who's worst nightmare this was.

Sandhya was very sure she had only left for at least a few minutes. Sure, she saw how the Emperor seemed to care for their little prince. But... but... weren't they both in war with one another the last time they met?

The remaining servants who stood close to the walls felt the same dilemma as was Sandhya. They were professional enough to not let their emotions played on their faces and continue on being nonchalant.

"I heard that you encounter your friends on your visit to the library."

His conversation starter almost flies above her head when she remembered that she was the only other person on the table with him that was not currently sucking a bottle. Ophelia always thought of the Emperor as someone who loathes small conversations unless perhaps the conversation has something to be gain on his part.

Ophelia thought back of the things she's done and said the whole day. She's done nothing scandalous nor rebellious. She did however bad mouth the Emperor... Just a little bit.

She knew from the moment she waked up every day she will be closely watched. She was fine by it if she stopped thinking about it. Her father was away from her and, of course, he would be worried about her constantly. To be able to have peaceful days, he has left some of his most trusted people to watch over her.

He had told her after she had constantly misbehaved and caused one of her teacher to be bald.

Apologizes to Mr Michael who taught her Maths.

Sure enough when she became Empress the number of people watching her multiples. Either to cause her demise or to prevent it. She could care less about them. Right now she cares more about rising her burrito to become a good man and, if possible, a great Emperor.

It doesn't surprise her if the Emperor knew her what, where, when or who's.

"Yes, I did meet them coincidentally today at the library. Apparently, we mothers, are currently going through the same dilemma."

"Oh?", the Emperor was looking down at burrito as he continues to drink his milk but she still saw how his eyebrows rise and she knew he wanted to hear more about her story.

"As you've known, my friends, Elena Dankworth nee Morales and Amanda Nova nee Sinclair also have a child with the same age as Peter. And somehow both children have shown some peculiarity and dominant to the paternal side."

"What do you mean?", he had a face that she convinced seemed genuinely interested in her story which something she never thought he could do.

"Each of their children seemed to show an early interest in their father's occupation which is unusual."

Not if they live in an otome game with a poor sense of medieval knowledge and naming sense. Don't forget the cliché heroine with strong belief in common rights among all gender from different class of society- if they were in the actual medieval times she will be scorned and be put to her place- and always seemed to get the men even with her low status and still would be worshipped by them and all of the people around her.

But, they were in fact in an otome game and nothing is impossible in the fiction world.

"Isn't it a good thing? Our son has nothing to worry about in the future. He has trusted ally and companions. He can rule the nation in peace knowing he could never be betrayed."

No comment from her...

"The ladies and I decide to have a tea party together here at the palace if you would allow it. The children could be playmates with one another."

Somehow, she sounds as if she supported her burrito becoming an Emperor. No, no, please understand that she wouldn't mind if he decides to become a farmer or a fisherman. Heck, she would totally support him being gay! As long as it could avoid her from being dead. But for now, let's just focus on making it through his first birthday before she could decide on anything else.

"You have my permission. I would also like to meet these boys who would be companions of my son for life and if they are worthy of the duties that might come with it."

He does realize that their children are only a few months old, right? Why does it sound like a father meeting a son-in-law for the first time? Wait! Is it?

God! She doesn't know anymore?!