Why am I the Princess?

CEO Jang Seong-man looked at Kim Jiho with an aggrieved expression.

“Why am I still being called Grandpa?”
“…Because there’s a significant age difference,” Jiho replied, keeping his tone light.

Aunt Ji-eun, meanwhile, glanced at me with a worried look.

“What should I do if I’ve fallen out of favor?”
“…Hmm.”
“Didn’t you say Si-yoon remembers everything, even from when she was in the womb?”
“She remembers kindness more than anything else, so if you’re good to her, she won’t hold a grudge.”
“Really?”

Jiho gave her an awkward smile and offered advice.

“If you want to win her over quickly, you’ll need to be extra nice for at least a week. By the way, is she asleep?”
“Yeah, her breathing sounds deep.”
“She fakes it sometimes, though.”
“She’s drooling.”

Jiho glanced at me through the rearview mirror and nodded.

“She’s definitely asleep. She’d never let anyone see her in an ‘ugly’ state otherwise.”
“She’s quite the little lady,” Aunt Ji-eun said with a chuckle.

Jang Seong-man, who had been quietly listening, looked over at me.

“So, when do you think I’ll stop being called Grandpa?”

Jiho hesitated, then replied with an awkward laugh,
“Hmm… I think it’s best if you talk to her directly.”
“What does Si-yoon like?”

After a long pause, Jiho finally answered,
“Uh… well… women?”
“…What?”
“She grew up without a mom, so she likes being held by adult women.”
“Ah…”

Not understanding the real reason, everyone gave me a pitying look.

“Si-yoon~ We’re here. Wake up!”

I woke with a start at Dad’s voice, only to find myself being lifted by Aunt Ji-eun.

“…? Why are you carrying me?”
“Can’t Auntie carry you?”
“No, but I’m heavy, aren’t I?”
“You’re only 13 kilograms! That’s nothing~”
“Hmm… isn’t that about a quarter of your weight?”

I glanced at Aunt Ji-eun’s skinny arms, which looked frail compared to Dad’s muscular ones.

“It’s not that bad~”
“You’re all bones, Auntie. It hurts. Put me down.”

Aunt Ji-eun looked at me with mock offense, her face exaggeratedly shocked.

“Wow… I’m hurt.”
“Oh, good. That’s a relief.”
“…Wait, are you getting back at me?”
“Hmm? Oh, Auntie, you’re sharp.”

Clearly offended now, Aunt Ji-eun set me down with a huff. I immediately ran to Dad and wrapped my arms around him.

Since Dad worked out regularly, he had a solid build. Carrying me, even at 13 kilograms, was probably no harder than lifting a small sandbag.

“Dad, my legs hurt from sitting too long. Massage them for me.”

Without missing a beat, Dad used his free hand to knead my thighs gently.

“Ah, that feels great! Auntie could never do this, right?”
“…..”

Feeling thoroughly pampered, I leaned back against Dad as we made our way into the restaurant.

Inside, Aunt Ji-eun meticulously cut the short ribs into tiny, bite-sized pieces, each no larger than the nail on my little finger. Dad, meanwhile, wiped my mouth as I ate.

“Chew thoroughly before swallowing,” he said, watching me closely.
“But Aunt Ji-eun chews less than I do,” I pointed out matter-of-factly.
“…..”

Turning my attention to CEO Jang Seong-man, I locked eyes with him, waiting for his response.

“Grandpa just swallows his food without chewing…”

Both Aunt Ji-eun and CEO Jang Seong-man glanced at me nervously, while Dad, alone, was diligently chewing his food at least 30 times. Seeing him, the others hesitated, then reluctantly began mimicking his exaggerated chewing motions with their tender beef.

“What’s your favorite food, Si-yoon?” someone asked.
“Hmm… I eat everything, but Dad didn’t let me try a lot of different things when I was younger.”

As I reached for a cucumber pepper to dip in ssamjang, I noticed everyone watching me. My young body had a sharper sense of taste, and the flavors seemed much more intense.

Meanwhile, Dad answered a phone call from Kim Sun-hwa.
“Yes, Mrs. Dayeon’s mom?”

The table went quiet, curious about the conversation.

“Overseas?”

At the mention of overseas, everyone’s attention sharpened. The call lasted a while before Dad ended it with an agreement.

“She invited us on a trip next week. Dayeon wants us to go with her,” he explained.
“Where to?”
“Australia.”
“Okay.”

When Aunt Ji-eun asked who Dayeon was, Dad chuckled and replied,
“She’s the daughter of Hanseong Group’s CEO, Lee Jin-seok.”
“…What?”

The revelation left Aunt Ji-eun wide-eyed and visibly stunned, while CEO Jang Seong-man accidentally dropped his chopsticks.

“Seriously?”
“Yes.”

Unbothered by the drama, I casually ate an onion and reached for a piece of garlic, dipping it in ssamjang. The moment I bit into it, my tongue felt like it was on fire.

“Argh! Ack!”
“Si-yoon!”

My sudden outburst silenced the entire table. This overly sensitive body amplified the heat to an unbearable level, and for the first time in years, tears welled up in my eyes.

“…..”
“Are you okay?” Dad asked softly, concern etched on his face.

He reached out with a handkerchief to wipe my tears.

“I didn’t cry,” I muttered, trying to save face.
“Of course not. My brave little girl,” Dad said with a faint smile.

Feeling my face grow hotter, I shoved his hand away.

“Put it away. I didn’t cry.”

Dad chuckled and used his hand to take the garlic out of my mouth instead.

The Hanseong family had officially moved into my palace, Tower Palace. At Kim Sun-hwa’s request, I visited Dayeon’s newly furnished apartment.

“Si-yoo-na!”

Dayeon greeted me, her arms full of stuffed rabbits dressed in frilly little outfits.

“Hi.”

She stared at me in silence for a moment, then raised one of the rabbits’ hands and waved it.

“Hello to the ill-fated Antonio, Olivia, and Mamarid,” I said, playing along.

Satisfied with my acknowledgment, Dayeon gave a small nod of approval.

“Is that Si-yoon I hear?”

Dayeon’s mom, Kim Sun-hwa, appeared.

“Yes.”
“Did you come here alone?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my, your dad let you come by yourself?”
“…It’s literally right across the hall. Wouldn’t it be weirder if he came with me?”
“…..”

This enormous apartment complex had only two units per floor, and ours were directly across from each other.

“Ugh… why did it have to be right across?” she muttered.
“…Do you not like us, Si-yoon?” she asked, half-jokingly.

I responded without hesitation.
“No.”

My blunt answer left Kim Sun-hwa speechless, her pupils trembling as she tried to come up with a reply.

“…..”