In the days following the assassination attempt, soldiers patrolled the halls day and night. Every servant was questioned, every visitor investigated.
Akemi and Minato had been moved immediately.
A new room—deeper inside the palace, far from balconies or open windows—had been prepared for them. It was beautiful, of course. Soft curtains, warm candlelight, and guards stationed outside at all times. But to Minato, it didn't matter how luxurious the room was.
A cage was still a cage.
Now, a full day had passed since the incident. The palace had returned to a sense of order, though the tension had not faded. It lingered behind every polite smile and every bow. Everyone was trying to act normal again, but Minato could tell—fear still hung in the walls like smoke.
Minato herself sat quietly in her mother's lap, wrapped in expensive blankets that felt far too soft for her mood.
Her face was scrunched into a furious pout, purple eyes filled with resentment.
She was still angry.
Not because someone had tried to kill her—assassination attempts were practically a hobby in her old life. No, what truly infuriated her was the price she had paid.
She had been forced to reveal a fraction of her true self. Forced to burn through the remnants of her demonic power. Power that had once crushed kingdoms beneath her feet.
All wasted… on a pathetic human with a cheap dagger.
Minato's tiny fingers curled against the fabric of Akemi's dress, as if she could physically squeeze her anger into something manageable. But the rage refused to leave. It simmered in her chest like poison
The servants noticed, of course.
They always noticed.
They had been watching Minato ever since she was born, treating her like a sacred jewel that could break at any moment. And now that she had been attacked, their anxiety had only doubled.
A few of them approached carefully, carrying a small basket of toys. Bright wooden animals, soft cloth dolls, rattles carved from polished ivory—objects meant to bring comfort to a child.
One servant knelt down, gently shaking a toy in front of Minato's face.
"Your Highness… look. A bunny."
Minato stared at it with the same expression she might have given a corpse.
The servant's smile faltered.
Akemi, sitting calmly with Minato in her lap, sighed softly. Her arms tightened protectively around her daughter as she brushed a hand through Minato's black hair.
"Mina," Akemi murmured, her voice gentle. "What's wrong?"
Minato didn't answer, of course. She couldn't. Her lips were too small, her voice too limited.
Instead, she glared ahead, expression stiff and furious, as if she was personally offended by the concept of being comforted.
Akemi gave a small, tired laugh, though it carried worry.
"We're safe now," she reassured her daughter. "No one will ever try to hurt you again."
'Foolish woman,' Minato thought bitterly. 'There will always be someone who tries.'
Akemi's smile softened, but her eyes showed exhaustion. She had barely recovered from childbirth, and now she had to deal with the terror of nearly losing her baby. Even so, she held Minato with unwavering warmth, as if the world could burn down around them and she would still shield her.
Then, footsteps approached from outside the lounge.
The servants straightened immediately and the guards outside opened the doors, and the atmosphere in the room shifted at once.
The Emperor had arrived.
Masayuki Miyamoto entered first, tall and imposing, his golden-blonde hair neatly tied back. His presence alone made the room feel smaller. Behind him walked four children, each one carrying themselves with the unmistakable confidence of imperial blood.
They all had their father's features: blonde hair and blue eyes. They looked like a perfect portrait of a royal family.
And Minato hated them immediately.
The Emperor's gaze fell on Akemi and Minato. For a brief moment, something unreadable passed through his expression—relief, perhaps, buried beneath discipline.
"Akemi," he said calmly. "How is she?"
Akemi gave him a warm smile.
"She's been quiet," she replied. "A little grumpy, but… she's alright."
Minato's eyes locked onto the Emperor, her father.
The man the entire continent bowed to. The man whose blood ran through her siblings.
The man who was supposed to be her family now.
And all Minato could think was—
'So this is the one they call Emperor. He looks irritating.'
The oldest of the children stepped forward first.
A girl, tall for her age, with long blonde hair that fell like silk and deep sapphire-blue eyes. She moved with elegance, like someone already trained to be royalty.
Crown Princess Aoi Miyamoto.
Aoi's expression softened as soon as she saw Minato. She approached slowly, almost reverently, as if she were afraid that speaking too loudly might frighten the baby.
"Oh…" Aoi whispered, smiling. "So this is Mina."
Her voice was filled with wonder, and the way she looked at Minato was almost unfairly gentle. Like Minato was something precious that the world didn't deserve.
Aoi leaned closer, hands folded politely.
"She's beautiful," she murmured. "Her eyes are even prettier up close."
Minato stared back at her, unblinking.
You're staring too much, Minato thought. Do you want to die?
The Emperor stepped forward, reaching his arms out.
"Come," he said, voice firm but calm. "Let me hold her."
Akemi hesitated for a fraction of a second, then carefully shifted Minato toward him.
The moment Minato felt herself being lifted from her mother's warmth into the Emperor's arms, irritation surged through her.
Minato's eyes narrowed.
And then, without hesitation, she raised her tiny hand and slapped him across the face.
Servants gasped. Guards stiffened. Even the Emperor blinked, stunned by the audacity of a newborn princess striking him.
Aoi covered her mouth.
The Emperor stared down at Minato, his expression unreadable.
Minato glared back at him with the full arrogance of a former Demon Lord.
'Do not touch me, human.'
The Emperor exhaled slowly, as if processing what had just happened.
Then, surprisingly… he chuckled.
A low, amused sound that made the servants look even more terrified, because they weren't sure if their ruler was entertained or furious.
Akemi reached out quickly and took Minato back into her lap, where Minato immediately snuggled into her mother's warmth again, as if she had never been separated.
Akemi gently patted Minato's back, smiling apologetically at the Emperor.
"She's been… very attached," Akemi said softly.
The Emperor rubbed his cheek where the slap had landed, his eyes narrowing slightly but not in anger, but in interest.
"Attached," he repeated.
Minato's siblings watched with mixed expressions.
Akemi kissed the top of Minato's head, her voice warm.
"Everyone," she said gently, "this is Minato. Your little sister."
The room softened. Even the servants relaxed slightly.
Aoi leaned closer again, this time reaching out slowly, giving Minato the chance to react.
"Hello, Mina," Aoi said happily. "I'm your big sister."
Minato turned her head away with a huff, burying her face into Akemi's chest like a sulking cat.