The World’s Strongest Are Obsessed With Me

Chapter 6

It was already nearing six months since Dahlia had begun to live with Hikan. She was still trying to give him as much affection as she could. While she was still scared of him, he didn’t act hostile toward her like he did before the library incident.

Recently, Dahlia had a new problem. She had run out of ideas. Her act as a kind, innocent, and stupid younger sister had to go on, but she had reached the limits of her imagination.

She secretly sought out the butler. “What would my brother like?”

The butler looked at her with sympathetic eyes and crouched down to her eye level. “I believe you’re already doing very well, Miss Dahlia.”

Dahlia felt only pity from the butler and gave up on asking him for advice.

Next, she went to Duchess Blueport. The duchess greeted her with a warm smile. “For your brother?”

Dahlia nodded rapidly. The duchess was delighted by her response. “This is a far better question than the emergency fund topic from our last meeting, Dahlia.”

Dahlia forced an awkward laugh and scratched her head. Duchess Blueport took a moment to think and called for her servant. “Bring me a pen and paper.” Duchess Blueport filled out a piece of paper and handed it to Dahlia, explaining what it meant as she met Dahlia’s wide eyes.

In order for Hikan to truly become Duke Pesteroz, he needed an official approval document from another Transcendent. A Transcendent had to acknowledge the fact that Hikan wasn’t out of his mind and was capable of making logical decisions. That was what Duchess Blueport had just written out for Dahlia.

“N-no! You can’t!” Dahlia shouted in surprise. She knew that Hikan wouldn’t be able to make logical decisions at all in the near future. His madness would only put Duchess Blueport in a difficult position as the one who had endorsed his sanity.

“It’s all right. It’s a formality, so there isn’t much meaning to it.” Duchess Blueport continued to press the paper into Dahlia’s hands. “I hope you can improve your relationship with your brother with this.”

Dahlia didn't honestly think there was any need to improve their relationship, but she almost teared up in gratitude at the duchess’s warm words.

But once she got home, Dahlia still needed a while to gather enough courage to show Hikan the paper.

What if he cuts my head off because he thinks I’m acting too nice and smart?

Finally, she awkwardly walked up to Hikan and gave it to him. “Hikan! I did well, right? Duchess Blueport has been my friend for a long time, so...”

“I already received His Majesty’s approval yesterday. I don’t need this.”

Dahlia didn't know what to say. She had forgotten that Hikan was on good terms with the emperor in the original story. Of course the emperor would sign a paper of approval for Hikan, since the emperor himself was a Transcendent.

This time, Dahlia truly crumpled into herself. “I’m sorry... I thought you’d like it...”

Hikan stared at her for a moment and snatched the paper out of her hand. “This can be used for something else. Now get out.”

Used for what?

Dahlia grew anxious and hoped Hikan wouldn’t use Duchess Blueport’s signature for some dangerous cause.

He won’t use it for a loan or something, will he? I thought our family was rich.

Besides, the butler once brought up the fact that aside from signatures for matters concerning the Transcendent, the Pesteroz family had no need for another family head’s signature.

Where is he going to use it?

Out of fear, Dahlia peered into the crack of the door to see what Hikan would do to the paper.

No way.

He was glaring at the paper with a questionable expression on his face and gnawing his lip.

He looks like I forced the paper on him instead of him taking it himself.

Soon, he sighed and threw the paper on the bookshelf behind him.

It still made Dahlia nervous, so she snuck into Hikan’s office when he wasn’t there and snatched Duchess Blueport’s paper back. Strangely enough, Hikan didn’t seem to notice that the paper had gone missing. Dahlia couldn’t understand why he'd taken it in the first place.

* * *

Contrary to what Duchess Blueport had hoped for, Hikan continued to act indifferent toward Dahlia. Perhaps it was because he still hadn’t harmed her, or anyone else, but Dahlia started to lose her fear of him very slowly.

She was staring into the air with a blank gaze when her door slammed open, startling her into a shout.

“It’s me.” Hikan stood there as though he'd been summoned by her thoughts. It was the first time he’d ever visited her room.

Dahlia stared at him with wide eyes. “What is it, Hikan?”

He replied with his usual expressionless face. “His majesty accepted my request for an audience.”

The emperor had to transfer the title of Duke Pesteroz personally since the previous duke had died. An audience approval was the last requirement Hikan had to fulfill to become a duke. Apparently the request for an audience which had been pending for a few days had been approved.

That is good news, but were we close enough to discuss that kind of stuff?

Dahlia blinked rapidly in surprise. “Congratulations...?”

Perhaps Hikan read the unspoken question in her eyes: Did you come here just to say that? He continued. “The emperor wants you to come too. We leave for the Imperial Palace at noon two days from now. Be ready.”

“M-me too?”

“Yes.”

Hikan needed his position, but why her?

But Hikan’s eyes told Dahlia there was only one acceptable answer. She nodded, knowing she had no choice.

He left as soon as he received the answer he wanted. Dahlia hated it when he acted like that.

I hope you trip over your own feet!

Despite her desperate wish, nothing happened, like always.

Regardless, the emperor had given an order. Dahlia immediately grabbed her nanny to talk about her visit to the Imperial Palace. Pleasantly surprised, her nanny looked into new dresses.

Two days later, Dahlia was wearing a pink lace dress to go to the Imperial Palace. Her light gray hair was braided into several strands and fixed in place with ribbon pins.

Ribbons. It was a style she wouldn’t have tried over her dead body in her past life, but thirteen-year-old Dahlia was at the age when she looked cute in anything she wore.

Her eyes, which were a clear ocean-blue like Hikan’s, peered back at her from the mirror. “You’ll be very beautiful when you grow up, Miss Dahlia," her nanny said as she gently patted Dahlia’s cheek. Remembering her average appearance in her previous life, Dahlia agreed. Her current looks had a lot of potential.

The only question is whether I'll live long enough for that to matter.

Hikan was already waiting for her in front of the carriage. Dahlia was surprised he wasn’t sitting inside it already.

She smiled widely. “Thank you.”

He probably won’t help me.

She hopped into the carriage holding the coachman’s hand. Hikan paused to stare at her before following her inside.

“But, Hikan, why did His Majesty ask for me?

Hikan didn’t reply. Instead, he stared out of the window for the entire journey to the palace. His hand on the armrest was curled tightly into a fist as though something had offended him. Dahlia thought she heard an ominous crunch coming from the armrest.

Why is he upset now? she complained silently. She stared out the window like Hikan.

They arrived at the Imperial Palace quickly. Hikan was the first to get off the carriage, as he was closer to the door. Dahlia got off with the coachman’s help again. Again she saw Hikan pause briefly before walking away. Was he nervous because he was at the Imperial Palace?

“Hurry up, Dahlia.” His deeper voice seemed to reflect how uncomfortable he was. The two followed their guide into the palace and entered the emperor’s throne room.

“You’re finally here.” The emperor, who was facing away from them with his hands clasped behind his back, slowly turned around.

This was Emperor Alexandro Duncan Michelio II. He was a young emperor who had just entered his mid-30’s, and he was also a handsome Transcendent with beautiful golden hair and red eyes who appeared in the original story.

However, he wasn’t one of the male leads of the game due to his love and devotion for the empress. His age also played a part.

His ability was reading another person’s emotions through touch. He could read a person’s positive or ill intentions toward him in an instant. Naturally, that made politics useless in the face of his power. He was described as an unreadable character until the very end of the story. In fact, he was so exceptional in his self-control that he was also one of the last Transcendents who managed to maintain sanity.

Dahlia bowed to the emperor as she'd been taught by her family tutor. The emperor’s eyes sparked in interest. “I’ve seen a lot of one of you... but I’ve never seen the other before. Are you Lady Dahlia Pesteroz?”

“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t be so stiff. You’re a Pesteroz too, aren’t you, little Miss Dahlia? I called you here because I felt like you had a right to attend the Pesteroz family’s investiture ceremony.”

To express her gratitude, Dahlia beamed and bowed slightly. The emperor smiled back as he looked at her. “Right, so what do you think of your only brother? Is he nice to you?”

Dahlia couldn't stop her gaze from sliding toward Hikan. He wasn’t even looking at her. The many, many incidents that had occurred ran through her head. A lot had happened in four months.

It’s not as if I can say he wasn’t nice to me at all...

Dahlia forced herself to smile. “Yes, he’s very nice to me. Since he is my only brother... I rely on him a lot.”

“Hmm. I thought you’d be scared. He’s not the best person to rely on, don’t you think?”

Hikan was still silent. Dahlia felt the back of her head itch for no apparent reason. She didn't know what to say.

“Well, it’s a blessing to have a cute younger sibling. All of my siblings are lacking something somewhere.” The emperor turned away as though he didn’t expect a reply and called Hikan closer to him. Hikan approached without complaint.

The emperor handed him a paper that had the royal family’s insignia. It looked like one of his aides had prepared the document in advance. Then he carelessly waved his arm around, touching Hikan's shoulder and forehead. “Done. You are now Duke Pesteroz.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“There’s a lot of work to be done, so hurry up on that. And Miss Dahlia? Come here.”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty.” Dahlia scurried toward the emperor. He smiled, rubbed his chin, and peered down at her.

“How did Hikan end up with such a cute, lovely sister who loves him so dearly?”

“Th-thank you," Dahlia replied, and hunched over in embarrassment.

The emperor gave a vague smile. “I’m sure it’s not well known, but the Transcendent live a lonely, solitary life. I’m sure you’re playing a role in making that part of Hikan’s life better, little miss.”

“Your Majesty," Hikan said. He was speaking through gritted teeth. But the emperor just grinned wider instead.

“The thing is, I can feel it.”

“You’ve imagined it, Your Majesty," Hikan immediately objected.

“Well, if you insist.”

Dahlia, unable to comprehend the underlying conversation that was taking place, could only stare at the emperor with wide eyes. She could only infer that they were talking about something similar to what Duchess Blueport had said.

The emperor smirked and offered Dahlia his hand as though he was requesting a handshake. “Thank you for coming all this way on my whim, miss Dahlia.”

The emperor had a tradition of shaking hands with anyone he met once an audience was over.

While his habit was casually explained as his attempt to lighten the mood of stifling formalities, he was actually trying to read the visitor’s emotions.

It wasn’t as if anyone could deny the emperor’s request for a handshake. Dahlia had nothing to hide. She took the emperor’s hand gently and shook it. Then it was time to let go.

But as she waited, the emperor didn’t release her hand. Panicked, she slowly looked up at him.

The emperor was looking down at their clasped hands as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.