“World domination.”
Thus did the girl proudly declare in this spacious, lavishly furnished room.
It was a most absurd phrase to hear from the mouth of a child who had just turned six, but the middle-aged man with her did not seem the least bit perturbed—no matter if the question at hand was “What is your dream for the future?”
Where any decent adult would be troubled by the girl’s response, the man simply looked at her with a wide and smitten smile as he replied, “I see, I see!”
The man, clad in garments far more luxurious than the girl’s own dress, showed absolutely no intention of scolding the girl. Nor did any of the maids in the room with them—naturally, as they were far lower in status.
Though his expression now was loose and indulgent, the man’s features were typically a bit sharper and sterner—much like that of the girl he was speaking with. This resemblance was enough to prove that they were indeed father and daughter.
Still smiling kindly, the man bent down to the girl’s eye level and gently patted her on her head. “You’re such a clever girl, Sheila.”
“Father, I hadn’t meant that as a joke,” said the girl, Sheila. Her eyes were clear and sharp, unlike her father’s in this moment. “Someday, I shall rule the world.”
“Mm-hmm. I can’t wait to see it. Ah, but when will that be? Could you do it before I become a grandpa?”
Sheila’s father was entirely convinced that his daughter was joking. And who could blame him for it? Without a doubt, this was the proper response upon hearing such a declaration from a six-year-old. He might have had to admonish her if she insisted on something more realistic—perhaps, that she wished to murder someone—but world domination was far too preposterous a notion to ever take seriously.
“That would depend on you, father.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“If you willingly submit to me, then I shall treat you cordially.”
“Huh?” Sheila’s father blinked widely for a moment before throwing his head back and bursting into laughter. “Aha ha ha ha ha! Of course, of course! I’d be an obstacle in your quest for world domination, wouldn’t I?”
“Naturally.”
“I see... Then, when that time comes, I will submit to you and watch pliantly from the sidelines as you take over the world.”
“That would be in your best interest.”
“Pinky promise?”
The girl glared at the man’s pinky. “Very well,” she eventually conceded, offering her right pinky in return.
The contents of their conversation aside, this sight alone—of a father and daughter linking pinkies for a promise—painted a most wholesome picture.
“Your Majesty, it is time,” said a maid.
“All right.” The man withdrew his pinky and rose to his feet. With one last gentle look at his daughter, he told her, “I’ll drop by again.”
Sheila nodded. “Okay.”
Her father exited with his maids, soon leaving Sheila alone in the room.
“I will do it... I swear it.”
The girl’s quiet, resolute words were heard by none but herself.
There were three things of note regarding this scene.
First, Sheila was being dead serious. Her dream for the future was genuinely—without exaggeration nor jest—world domination.
Second, despite her firm resolve in her childhood days, the girl was gradually crushed under the weight of reality as she grew older. In time, she settled for simply establishing her own household—a dream far more befitting of her station in life.
And third, this girl would soon meet someone who wouldn’t simply brush off her dream...while also possessing the power to potentially achieve it.
What would this meeting bring about? And how would it influence her long lost childhood dream?
Alas, the answers to these questions remained to be seen.