[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 9

However, it was true that the 'guests' brought some vitality to Yuri's mundane routine. They came from all over the continent with their splendid entourages. They put effort into their outfits, and their faces were handsome, making it fun to watch.

"Open the gates!" 

At Marlon's command, the guards pulled the ropes. The iron gate, adorned with the splendid royal emblem, began to open with a thunderous noise. 

Who could the guest be this time? An immigrant from the south? A king from a jungle tribe? If they were from the jungle, would they really carry a crescent-shaped sword instead of a normal one, as the rumors suggest? 

"Salute!" 

The knights drew their swords and knelt on one knee. It was the highest honor they could show. Yuri waited with bated breath. However, no matter how long she waited, the procession didn't enter. The only one who stepped through the wide-open gate was a man dressed in the knights' uniform. 

He crossed the formation naturally. As soon as he passed, the members who seemed to have been waiting rose and embraced him. Commander Marlon even showed tears. It was the first time such a fervent welcome was not just formal. 

But the man showed no signs of hurry or tension. Unlike the emotional crowd, he seemed almost numb, as if he had just returned to where he naturally belonged. 

Yuri grew increasingly perplexed. 

Was this man not a guest but rather a hero who saved the world? 

However, the man looked like a 'guest'. He was tall and, above all, young and handsome. Like all the guests who had visited before. No, even more so. Yuri, accustomed to the glamorous appearances of the guests, was so astonished that her mouth fell open. 

If this man whispered in her ear that he wanted to be her father, Yuri felt like she might just agree, despite herself. 

"Ah!" 

That was when it happened. While absent-mindedly watching the man, Yuri nudged a sack with her elbow. One of the precariously perched sacks lost balance and fell, causing a loud noise that drew everyone's attention. Soon, Marlon spotted Yuri hiding and screamed. 

"Princess Yuri!" 

Yuri instinctively closed her eyes and covered her head. But the expected pain never came. After a while, Yuri peeked out with one eye to assess the situation. Everything was bright around her. She wasn't suffocating. 

What happened? 

Yuri realised that someone had lifted her up in an embrace. She fully opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was deep blue irises. 

And the 'guest's' face. 

The man seemed as surprised as Yuri. His blue eyes were filled with bewilderment. He asked incredulously while holding the unexpectedly saved Yuri. 

"Princess Kirona?" 

"She is..." 

Before Marlon could explain about Yuri, Yuri quickly responded, tugging at the man's short hair. 

"My name is Yuri." 

The man seemed too startled to even grimace in pain. The way he stared at Yuri, it was clear he really didn't know who she was. Yuri felt upset. 

Until now, there had been no one in Yuri's world who didn't know her. Even guests from strange places had pretended to know her first. 

Dare you not know me? A knight? This person, dressed in uniform and armed with a sword, must be a knight. To Yuri, knights were merely beings to ride and pull hair when bored. Knights were supposed to serve her, but they weren't supposed to fail to recognize her. 

But Yuri decided to hold back her anger. It was because the man had mentioned the name 'Kirona.' 

Kirona was said to be the first daughter of Yuri's grandmother. To Yuri, she would be an aunt. But deep down, Yuri thought Kirona might be her real mother. She had seen several other aunts, but none of them looked anything like Yuri. 

However, Kirona did resemble Yuri. Not just a little, but as twins. The portrait of young Kirona, which Yuri had begged from the nurse, looked exactly like her. 

Perhaps this man was well acquainted with Kirona. Then, he could be someone who could help Yuri. Yuri narrowed her eyes and questioned him. 

"Who are you to not know me?" 

"Ah..." 

A smile spread across the man's face as he looked at Yuri. His previously indifferent expression softened. He didn't give Yuri a chance to interrogate him further and embraced her tightly. Yuri, feeling suffocated, hit his shoulder fiercely, but the man didn't seem to care. 

"Marlon, where exactly has the father's share gone?" 

"So you dislike that?" 

"…How could that be? I feel absolutely torn up with joy." 

"Have you not fixed that way of speaking in five years?" 

At Marlon's scolding, the man's lips curled up. He gently set Yuri back on the ground. Yuri crossed her arms and glanced sideways at him, now smiling handsomely. 

"So you've just found out who I am?" 

"Yes. I'm sorry." 

Seeing that the man seemed friendly towards her, Yuri felt slightly mollified. The man drew his sword, placed it on the ground, and knelt before Yuri.