Why am I the Princess?

Dad, mid-stir, glanced over at my notebook and nodded approvingly. I had drawn a hand with perfectly proportioned fingers. Once the video ended, I flipped to a new page and attempted to draw the same thing from memory.

The result looked more like bean sprouts than fingers.

“…..”

“…Pfft.”

“…Are you laughing?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

Dad flinched under my glare and quickly averted his gaze.

“Dad.”
“…Yes?”
“If you can’t do better than a five-year-old, don’t act like a know-it-all. It just makes you look rude.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied sheepishly.

Bored with drawing, I shoved the notebook aside. Dad, still hovering nearby, tidied it up and neatly put it away.

Wherever I went, there were always notebooks and pens within reach. It was one of Dad’s subtle ways of supporting my hobbies.

And despite how independent I seemed, I still fell asleep in Dad’s arms every night. This young father couldn’t fall asleep without me by his side.

More and more people began visiting our house. It started with Dayeon’s mom, but soon, even Dad’s mysterious acquaintances—people who had been shrouded in secrecy until now—started showing up.

“Grandma, are you staying over tonight?”

“Of course~ Would you like that, Si-yoon?”
“Yes! What about Grandpa?”
“He’s busy, so he said he’d come tomorrow.”

I quickly finished a drawing and handed it to Grandma.

Dad, watching from the side, started giving her subtle warning glances.

“Oh my! This looks just like Grandma!” she exclaimed with a smile.
“That’s Dad…”
“…..”

Dad’s eye twitched like he was reliving some kind of trauma, while Grandma glanced at him nervously, then turned her attention back to me.

When I tried to grab the notebook from her hands, Grandma held onto it tightly, laughing as she tried to explain,

“Well, you know, your dad looks like Grandma. That’s why it’s easy to confuse us! Grandma even has short hair, just like him!”

I looked at her skeptically and said in a low voice,
“Hmm… try harder to convince me.”

“Uh, and, well… your dad is so pretty, just like you! You drew him so beautifully, I thought it had to be Grandma!”

So, because my pretty dad looked pretty in the drawing, she thought it was Grandma because it was so pretty?
This sounds like a tongue twister. ‘The giraffe I drew is a giraffe, but the giraffe you drew…’

If I truly had the mind of a five-year-old, I might’ve fallen for such a convoluted excuse.

“Let’s be honest, Grandma. You know that doesn’t make sense, right?”

“…You’re right.”

“Hand me my sketchbook.”

In the end, Grandma didn’t get to keep the drawing.

I found amusement in this little game and started giving people one chance per day to take home a drawing. Surprisingly, Dayeon ended up with the most of my drawings. Reflecting on how much fun I had doing this, I began to feel like my thoughts were starting to align with my childlike body.

I don’t even know myself anymore…

I swung my legs idly as I sat, sketching Alpha, who was lounging in front of me. A year of practice had noticeably improved my drawing skills. While I was still at the level of an upper elementary school student, I felt I was close to reaching a middle school level.

“Si-yoon,” Dad called.
“Yeah?”
“Wanna play an instrument with me?”
“Too easy. No thanks.”

Dad blinked, clearly caught off guard, and let out an awkward laugh.

“You might find it harder than you think,” he said, pulling out a dusty violin.

He cleaned off the dust, tuned it carefully, and took his stance to play.

“Dad, are you planning to use me playing the violin in your next song?”

“…..”

“You’re so obvious.”

Defeated, Dad put the violin away.

“If it’s the piano, I’ll play,” I offered.

His eyes sparkled, and he spent the rest of the day excitedly asking me which piano I preferred.

“Isn’t a grand piano a bit… much?” I asked.

“No way. The sound is completely different!” he argued passionately.
“A digital piano is fine,” I said firmly.

Looking a little disappointed, he eventually settled on ordering a digital piano online.

“How about we eat out tonight?” Dad suggested.
“Barbecue?”
“Of course~”
“Sounds good.”

We got ready and headed down to the parking lot. Dad strapped me into the car seat.

“What are we going to eat?” I asked.
“You’ll see—it’s going to be great!”

On the way to the restaurant, CEO Jang Seong-man got into the passenger seat, and Aunt Ji-eun joined me in the back.

When I casually waved a hand to greet her, Aunt Ji-eun playfully pinched my cheek.

“Si-yoon~~”
“Ow.”
“Aw, but I barely pinched you…”

Ignoring her antics, I turned my attention to my phone and started watching a movie review.

“Oh… I liked that movie too,” said Aunt Ji-eun.

I shot her a warning glance, trying to signal her to stop, but she, completely unaware, blurted out,
“Alien vs. Predator? That’s such an old movie!”

“Kim Si-yoon…”
“…Yes?”

I quickly stuffed my phone into my pocket.

“How many times have I told you not to watch stuff like that?” Dad said, his tone firm.
“…I understand,” I mumbled.

I turned to glare at Aunt Ji-eun, who immediately averted her eyes. Dad, catching the exchange through the rearview mirror, sighed and said,
“Why are you trying to blame someone else? You’re the one who watched it.”
“…I’m sorry.”

Dad exhaled deeply and focused on driving. Aunt Ji-eun leaned over and whispered an apology, but I ignored her, turning my attention back to my phone.

In mild defiance, I turned up the volume and started playing Pororo.

[“Playing is the best thing~”]

“…..”

The cheerful song filled the car, and both Dad and Aunt Ji-eun went silent.

Half-heartedly, I mumbled along, “Playing is the best thing…”

Watching me awkwardly sing along, Dad let out a soft chuckle. Frustrated, I sighed and handed my phone to Aunt Ji-eun.

“Here, Auntie. You watch something. I’m going to sleep. Grandpa, sleep well tonight. Dad, make sure you get some rest too.”

I closed my eyes, intending to feign sleep, but instead, I actually drifted off. This body fell asleep far too easily…