Why am I the Princess?

“You said Siyoon’s joining, right? Her brightness will balance out the darkness,” Jieun explained confidently.

“Ah… I like that,” Dad said with a smile.

I watched them work together while munching on snacks. It was intriguing to see their dynamic, like two people pouring their youthful energy into something creative. The studio felt peaceful yet vibrant, a space where inspiration bloomed.

Once Dad finished working on the song, he turned to me.

“Siyoon, we need to brush your teeth,” he said firmly.

“Hah… That’s such a hassle,” I groaned.

“Did you finish your snacks?”

“I don’t think so… maybe I left some?” I replied, feigning reluctance.

Even as I put on my most dramatic protest, Dad ignored me and said with a smile, “Let’s brush first, then we’ll start.”

“Ugh… Fine. Let’s do it,” I muttered, giving in.

Jieun chuckled as she watched our exchange. Dad grabbed a toothbrush from his bag, picked me up, and carried me to the restroom. Along the way, people greeted him, and he responded with casual nods, clearly focused on our task.

“Say ah~,” he instructed.

Following his careful guidance, I finished brushing my teeth, and we returned to the studio. Dad lifted me onto a tall chair and lowered the microphone stand as far as it would go.

“Sing however you want first,” he encouraged.

“Okay.”

I began reading the lyrics aloud as if I were narrating a storybook, and Dad’s face softened with a warm smile.

“Oppa, this part’s really nice,” Jieun said from the booth.

“Right?” Dad replied proudly.

Determined not to half-heartedly go through the motions, I sang the melody with precise pitch, carefully hitting every note.

“Whoa…” Jieun’s voice came through the headphones, full of awe.

Next, I tried singing with a brighter tone, infusing cheerful energy into the song. It was the kind of vibe that said, “Hang in there, Dad!”

When I glanced at Dad, I saw his eyes welling with tears. He quickly tried to cover it up with a forced laugh, his face still glowing with pride.

Through the headphones, Jieun’s voice broke through the instrumental track.

“Wow… isn’t Siyoon a genius?!”

“I already know,” I replied with a smirk.

-“…Y-yeah, sure.”

After finishing the recording, we played the song from the beginning. It sounded even better than we had anticipated.

“This is amazing…” I said.

“Right? It turned out even better than I imagined,” Dad replied, clearly pleased.

Jieun sniffed dramatically, pretending to catch the “scent” of success. “Mmm, I smell money~”

Then she turned to Dad with a cheeky grin.

“Since I helped, you’re treating me to beef, right?”

“Of course~” Dad agreed with a laugh.

After recording, the three of us went out for beef, and then Dad and I headed home. Once there, Dad booted up his computer for the first time in a while, loaded the song onto his phone, and played it for me.

“How does it work?” I asked, curious.

“Wanna know?” Dad teased.

“Yeah.”

He lifted me onto his lap as he sat at the desk.

“You connect the phone like this…”

He started explaining in detail, showing me the process step by step.

“Was that too complicated? Wanna give it a try?”

“Sure,” I said confidently.

Grabbing the mouse with my small hands, I navigated through the software, quickly figuring out how to save the file and transfer it to his phone.

“Wow, my daughter’s incredible~” Dad said, clapping.

“I know. I’m hungry. Feed me.”

“Hungry, huh? Okay. Play with the computer for a bit. If you type this in, you can open YouTube,” he said, pointing to the keyboard.

“Got it.”

Using both index fingers, I slowly typed “YouTube” and started watching movie reviews.

“Man, the world has really come a long way. These movies are insane,” I muttered to myself.

But my curiosity soon shifted. I wanted to know more about my family’s history, so I searched for Kim Jiho. Endless videos popped up, many labeled with the word fancam.

One caught my attention—Dad’s debut stage. He looked so nervous yet undeniably happy.

Switching to the search engine, I typed in Dad’s name. Various news articles appeared, detailing his past. I learned that his family originally ran a restaurant business, but Dad had left at an early age to pursue music. His talent blossomed after meeting Jang Sung-man, who mentored him. Dad began writing and composing songs for his boy group, gaining recognition.

Then I saw articles about his relationship with Mom. They’d started dating four years before I was born, enduring tough times together. There were plenty of hate comments, but they supported each other and eventually held a small, private wedding with no guests.

Mom became pregnant with me soon after. But their happiness didn’t last long. Mom passed away giving birth to me.

Despite losing the love of his life because of me, Dad had never shown any resentment. Over the past four years, all I’d ever seen from him was a smile when he looked at me.

“Hey, what are you doing? Dinner’s ready,” Dad called out.

“Coming,” I replied, closing the browser.

Dad picked me up and placed me in my designated chair at the dining table.

“What were you doing on the computer?” he asked, setting a plate of food in front of me.

“Food,” I replied curtly.

Dad chuckled and tried to coax me.

“What was my little girl watching on the computer? Tell me, and I’ll let you have ice cream after dinner.”

Knowing he wouldn’t stop pestering me otherwise, I decided to give him a vague answer.

“Hmm… honestly?”

“Yeah, honestly,” he said, leaning closer.

I smirked slightly and said, “Movie reviews.”

“What movie?”

“Alien.”

Dad’s expression immediately turned serious. “Isn’t that too violent?”

“It’s not violent~ It’s just a baby popping out of someone’s chest with a ‘splat,’” I said, mimicking the sound.

His alarmed expression grew more pronounced as he said sternly, “You shouldn’t watch stuff like that.”

“Got it~” I replied with a cheeky grin, then began eating my meal.

‘A bit bland today…’ I thought as I chewed.

Dad watched me carefully until I finished my food, then handed me a bowl of ice cream and the TV remote.

“Go watch some TV,” he said.

“Okay.”

It was a while before Dad came back to the living room, his eyes noticeably red and puffy. He sat down and called me over.

“Siyoon.”

I glanced at him, nodded, and turned off the TV. “Yeah?”

“Wanna go upstairs with me?”

When I nodded again, he picked me up and carried me to the second floor. The room we entered was spacious, spotless, and neatly organized, with a large bed at its center. It looked like it had been cleaned meticulously every day.

“This was your mom and dad’s room,” Dad said softly.

His emotions, always brimming, spilled over the moment we entered. His eyes began to well up again. Pressing against the wall, he revealed a hidden storage space. Inside was the familiar box of memories, along with various trophies carefully displayed.

“These belonged to your mom,” he said, pointing to some of the trophies.

Opening another section, he revealed even more awards.

“And these are mine.”

Dad lingered, gazing at the items for a while, before heading into the walk-in closet. It was filled with Mom’s clothes. As I looked at her accessories, the wealth of our family became increasingly apparent.

‘Wow, I’m definitely from a rich family,’ I thought, nodding as I scanned the rows of jewelry. ‘Has gold gotten cheaper? There’s just so much of it.’

Dad quietly scanned the closet before turning to me with a serious expression.

“Siyoon,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“If you ever have questions about your mom, ask me, okay?”

It seemed like he’d seen my search history on the computer earlier.

“Okay. But I don’t even know what your job is,” I replied bluntly.

“…”

“So, during ‘Draw Your Parent’s Job’ time at school, I just drew you as a chef.”

Dad blinked, then nodded, as if he’d seen my drawing in my school bag.

“…That was me?” he asked.

“Yeah, didn’t I draw it well?”

“…”

His bittersweet smile deepened as I quickly changed the subject.

“Thanks for everything, Dad. Next time, I’ll ask you directly.”

“Okay… You’re all I have, Siyoon.”

“I know.”

“Want to sleep here tonight?”

“Sure.”

I climbed into the big bed and grabbed a remote control as large as my arm. After some scrolling, I settled on a documentary and snuggled into the blankets while Dad sat nearby, quietly watching over me.