Why am I the Princess?

Dad glanced at me as I fiddled with my phone.

“Si-yoon, did you have fun today?”
“Oh, right! I brought cookies!”

Still driving, Dad handed me a bag of cookies.

“Ta-da~ They packed a lot. You can keep them in the fridge and snack on them later.”
“Whoa… Totally worth the effort, huh?”

Dad chuckled and asked, “What effort?”
“Um… getting Da-yeon’s family to accept me?”
“…?”

I looked at Dad, whose puzzled expression was practically begging for an explanation.

“So now, even if Da-yeon goes crazy for me, they’ll think it’s perfectly fine, right?”
“Ah… I see…”
“Exactly.”

The words I said to Dad turned out to be true in the end.

Kim Sun-hwa kept inviting us over to her house, but Dad seemed uncomfortable with the idea. Though she suggested sending me over by myself, Dad refused, saying I was still too young. Eventually, she gave up.

At daycare, as I munched on the cookies Da-yeon had brought, I started tutoring her in Korean.

“You need to master Korean first.”

“Why? I want to learn English…”

“Your mom and dad are Korean, right?”

“Yeah!”

“Then Korean comes first.”

Da-yeon looked at me with wide, curious eyes.

“Um… Is that how it works?”

“Exactly.”

Da-yeon only showed interest in studying when I was around. Because of this, Kim Sun-hwa often brought her over to our house. She also insisted on bringing gifts, saying she couldn’t come empty-handed. Soon, my wardrobe began overflowing with luxury clothes she brought.

I already had plenty of clothes at home, and my small body was growing so fast that I wouldn’t get to wear most of them for long. Still, I resolved to try each one on at least once, just so they wouldn’t go to waste.

After my Korean lesson with Da-yeon, we ate lunch at daycare. The meals, filled with organic vegetables and fancy dishes, seemed to justify the daycare’s steep fees.

The young teacher clapped to get our attention as we ate.

“Everyone remembers we’re going to the swimming pool tomorrow, right?”
“”Yes!!!””
“Don’t forget to bring your swimsuits~”

“”Yes!!!””

The word swimsuit made my head ache.

The moment we got home, I stared at the swimsuit Dad had bought.

“Sigh…”

Dad gave me a worried look.
“Si-yoon… do you not want to go to the pool?”
“No, that’s not the issue…”
“Then what is it?”

Wow… seriously? He expects me to wear this?

The overly cute, bubblegum-pink swimsuit made my head spin.

“No way.”
“No way what?”

If I were from a poor family, I would’ve worn it without a second thought. After all, wearing something is better than nothing. But this swimsuit? It looked like even cartoon characters would refuse to wear it.

“I can’t wear this. I’d rather just swim in my underwear…”

Dad looked at me, horrified.

“Si-yoon…”

“Dad, get me something reasonable to wear.”

“Huh?”
“Sigh… Just wear something from the store. Honestly, I think it’s better if I pick it out myself.”
“But why? This one’s cute…”

I drew a clear line for Dad, who still seemed oblivious to reality.

“Dad, your taste is embarrassing. If this keeps up, your daughter might actually die of shame.”
“…Okay.”

In the end, I dragged Dad with me to shop for a swimsuit. At the kids’ swimwear store, I looked around in disbelief.

“With so many decent options here, you still managed to buy that?!”

Dad glanced at me sheepishly and mumbled, “I just thought… you’d look adorable in it.”
“Adorable? More like mortifying.”
“…”

Finally, we settled on a less humiliating swimsuit that we could both agree on. I almost lost it a few times when Dad kept gravitating toward swimsuits with lace and frills. But since he was still a rookie parent, I swallowed my frustration, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
Even if I didn’t say it aloud, my eyes probably said it all.

Once I picked out a rash guard, I nodded in satisfaction.

“This is it. Remember this.”
“Okay…”
“Look closely! This is what your daughter wants!”
“Got it…”

Humming to myself, I climbed into the car.

“Oh, right. I was planning to release a song tomorrow,” Dad said casually.

His words made my brain shift gears.

“Really?”
“What do you think?”

I widened my eyes in mock excitement and nodded enthusiastically.

“I’m really looking forward to it!”
“Really?”
“Yep!”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t go to daycare tomorrow?”

Feeling triumphant about my plan working, I nodded as if I didn’t care.

But then Dad’s next words brought me crashing back to reality.

“No matter how clueless I may seem, there’s no way I’d forget about the pool trip tomorrow.”
“…”
“Oh, and by the way, the song’s coming out the day after tomorrow~”

In the past, my first instinct might’ve been to raise my hand for a swift smack, but remembering he was my dad, I managed to keep my cool.
Instead, I ignored him and pulled out my phone.

“…”
“…Si-yoon?”

As Dad started to back the car out of the parking lot, he hesitated, glancing at me for a reaction.

“…”

Ignoring his gaze, I focused on my phone until he blurted out in a desperate tone, “I’m sorry, okay?!”
“…”

Clinging to me like a child, Dad tried to make amends. Still scrolling through my phone, I halfheartedly pushed him away with one hand.

Do I hate water? Not really.
Case in point: I’m currently gliding through the pool like a fish.

This little body of mine is surprisingly strong. I can hold my breath for over five minutes, moving effortlessly through the water.

“Wow…”

The pool’s maximum depth was less than 70 cm, shallow enough to barely reach the thighs of the young teacher supervising us.
I surfaced and glanced at the teacher, impressed.

“Wow~ Why is someone like her working as a kindergarten teacher?”

Her pale, flawless skin and striking features made her look like she’d stepped out of a magazine. Even compared to celebrities I’d seen in the past, she was on a different level.

But seeing how much she genuinely enjoyed being with kids, it seemed like she’d chosen the right career. I’d heard that landing a position at Hanbit Kindergarten was highly competitive.
“She must be quite accomplished despite her looks.”

As she played with the children, the young teacher suddenly got swept up in the fun herself, moving energetically through the water.

“…?”

From a distance, Da-yeon paddled toward me with a floaty, doggy-paddling her way over with a bright smile.

“Si-yoon-ah~”

After a long effort, Da-yeon finally made it to me.

“What are you doing, Si-yoon?”

Propping my chin on my hand, I continued observing the teacher’s dynamic movements. Droplets of water trickled down her toned body from her sleek black hair.

“Pondering the flow of the future, the hidden valleys that may conceal oases, and what lies at the pinnacle of perfection…”
“…?”

Following my gaze, Da-yeon looked at the teacher, then climbed out of the water to sit beside me.

“I want to be good at swimming too!”

I met her wide, eager eyes with a steady look.

“So, you’re pretending to be human?”

Da-yeon’s eyes widened even more as she clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Gasp! Really?!”

“It’s a secret, okay?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Since I’m a mermaid, it’ll be hard for you to swim as well as I do, right?”

“Yeah!”
“Then practice until you can swim like a mermaid.”
“Got it! I’ll work hard!”

With renewed determination, Da-yeon grabbed her floaty and started practicing her swimming enthusiastically. I pulled out my waterproof phone, marveling at how convenient technology had become. Before the kids noticed, I quickly put it back in my pocket.

Taking advantage of my childlike privileges, I swam over to the young teacher.

“Teacher, can you hold me?”
“Huh? Oh, Si-yoon? Sure.”

I often clung to the young teacher—not because I liked her, but because I was too lazy to walk. Now, in the water, I simply didn’t feel like swimming.
Whatever the reason, every time I was held, I couldn’t help but marvel at the sensation of weightlessness.

“Wow…”
“…?”

At home, Dad bathed me while asking, “Did you have fun at the pool?”

I thought back to the day’s events. It had been pretty enjoyable. I nodded.

“It was fun.”

Dad smiled at me, visibly relieved.

“That’s great to hear!”
“I’m pretty good at swimming, too.”
“Really? Then how about we go to the pool together someday?”
“Too much trouble.”

My blunt reply left Dad visibly deflated.

“…Alright.”

After bathing me, Dad had already prepared dinner and set me up at the table.

“Our song’s coming out tomorrow, huh?”
“Yep, our song.”

Dad seemed overly excited, grinning ear to ear.

“I’m so excited my heart is racing!”
“Well, if it didn’t, you’d be dead.”

Startled by my extreme comment, Dad looked down at me slowly.

“…True.”
“Don’t worry, I get what you mean. I’m excited, too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I mean, with 285,715 mustache-shaped cookies, we could build a castle.”

Dad fell silent, probably recalling our earlier conversation in his studio.

“…”
“If we include overseas sales, at least three million… Wow, the castle would be ten times bigger.”
“Si-yoon…?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t you think that might be… excessive?”

Knowing Dad would actually buy them if I asked, I smirked.

“If you bought that many, people would probably hate it.”
“Right?”
“Uh-huh.”

After dinner, Dad brushed my teeth and began washing the dishes. When he finished his shower, he insisted on sitting me on his lap.
I didn’t refuse. After all, rejecting someone who wants to do something for you leaves a bitter taste. Until Dad realized this on his own, I wasn’t planning to say no.

“Si-yoon, your belly is so round and poking out!”
“That’s why it’s cute.”
“Ahaha, you’re right! It’s adorable!”

Lately, I’d been eating a lot of snacks, and I was starting to notice the extra weight. But I was well aware this wasn’t the age to worry about such things.

Watching TV with Dad, I noticed he was particularly fond of animal programs. I didn’t mind them either.
Dad’s eyes sparkled as he turned to me.

“Should we get a cat?”
“Really? You want to get a cat?”

I gave him a deadpan look.

“Don’t you think it’s obvious who actually wants one?”
“Ahem…”

“Cats can get lonely, so we should get two.”
“That’s true.”
“And make sure they’re neutered so we don’t have to deal with kittens later.”
“…Can’t we just put the kittens up for adoption?”

Disappointed, I gave Dad a pointed look.

“Why don’t you just put me up for adoption, then? Sounds like I’m too much trouble.”
“No! Si-yoon, I’m so sorry!!!”

Having gained some insight from my words, Dad began seriously contemplating the responsibility of having a cat. He started rehearsing scenarios in his head, wondering if he could manage everything.

“Wake up 30 minutes earlier every morning to brush them… feed them before heading out with Si-yoon… bathe them every two weeks…”

After a long deliberation, Dad looked at me and nodded with conviction.

“Let’s get one!”

“Okay.”