103. Emperor’s Lunchbox (6)
The magnificent emperor’s bedroom.
A commoner knight stands tall inside.
“First of all, I would like to ask His Majesty what he thinks of your daughters.”
He said, clasping his hands together.
Then, the emperor opened his mouth with a bitter expression.
「These are the children I always feel sorry for.」
He turned his head and looked at the portraits of the princesses hanging on the wall.
「When I was young, I was on the battlefield, so when I got older, I couldn’t be nice to anyone for the sake of fairness among the royal family.」
The emperor is better at objectifying than expected.
Except for the lunch box story, this is a success.
「If you give too much love to one person, the others will become anxious and keep you in check. Especially that guy Leon….」
Bodouin IV closed his eyes tightly, remembering the crown prince.
“Then, would you like to try this?”
I raised my finger.
Then, the emperor frowned.
「Is there a way to solve this difficult problem?」
“Yes, it’s a lot simpler than you think.”
He said he would easily solve his problems.
Leonhardt’s blue eyes flashed as if he was interested.
「Tell me.」
“You are expressing your hidden feelings to your daughters.”
Hidden emotions.
The emperor was very impressed by those words.
“It’s about expressing affection as a family.”
I approached the portraits of the princesses.
Then, he pointed to them with his palm and said.
“If you express yourself equally to everyone, no one will be jealous.”
「However, I haven’t seen those kids, let alone talked to them, for several years. “Would it be easy for me like this?”
The emperor looked disapproving at his ordinary proposal.
However, I smiled brightly at him and said,
“Exactly, that’s the point. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time, so your daughters will be happy with just a little consideration.”
「Hmm… “Keep reciting it.”
“Yes, let’s start with the third lady, Lydia.”
I pointed out a portrait of a prim girl with pigtails.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty, how much do you know about Lydia?”
The emperor placed his hand on his chin.
The appearance is as old as a plaster statue of a temple.
「He was an extraordinary child. Unlike other princesses who live comfortably through marriage… My goal was to become a monarch.”
Leonhardt’s mouth raises just thinking about his daughter.
「It’s nice to see him come to the command room and beg to learn tactics.」
It is a satisfied expression on his face to be enterprising like himself.
「One day, we may become independent from the empire and rule the Eastern Kingdom. Despite his appearance, his ambition is enormous.”
Soon he let out a short sigh.
Thanks to this, the emperor’s smile also became strangely bitter.
“You look regretful.”
「Yes, to have such deep meaning in the body of the youngest, not the eldest…. It would have been better if she had grown up to be just a cute, ordinary woman….」
Surprisingly, the King of Conquest was very worried about his three princesses.
It seems that her ambition and desire to conquer are of concern.
“Do you know where Lydia’s ambition began?”
「Probably because of Vanessa. Because she is a woman so ambitious that she forced an arranged marriage with me. “I guess she didn’t educate her daughter the same way?”
“I dare say, Your Majesty, you are mistaken.”
「What… ?」
When he denied the emperor’s words, he frowned.
“In fact, the Empress and Lydia truly respect Your Majesty.”
「How can you be sure of that?」
“That’s right, because I saw it in person.”
Leonhardt looked like he couldn’t understand after hearing my firm answer.
She was originally the 3rd Empress, a woman who rarely showed herself to the public.
「You, Vanessa?」
“Yes, you personally invited me to the dinner. She heard there that the Empress was more concerned about the well-being of the Empire and the health of Her Majesty than her own ambitions.”
I bowed my head politely.
After this, the moment I raise my head.
With a sincere look in her eyes, she assured him.
“And, Lydia, you don’t just want to be a ‘monarch.'”
「Then?」
The emperor was no longer angry when told that his prediction was wrong.
Instead, he rested his chin on the back of his hand and looked down at me with serious eyes.
I opened my palms gracefully as if responding to his gaze.
Then he carefully pointed to the emperor himself.
“The princess wants to become someone who is respected by the people like Your Majesty.”
「Me… ?」
The emperor looked blankly at my fingertips.
“Yes, and in the end, you want to be acknowledged directly by His Majesty.”
「You want to be recognized by me…. “Lydia is already my wonderful daughter!”
Leonhardt’s voice grew louder as if my words were trivial.
But….
Despite his growing momentum, I did not give in.
Rather, I confidently asked the continent’s strongest man.
“So. “Did you tell me directly?”
The emperor frowned at my command.
Thanks to this, the shadows under his eyes became considerably darker.
「That’s….」
“Lydia’s goal is not to become the master of the empire.”
I dug into his hardened heart.
“He hoped that His indifferent Majesty would recognize him, just once.”
I clasped my hands together.
And then, he raised the corners of his mouth with a sincere expression.
“As His Majesty’s daughter, she is growing up well.”
「… 」
The emperor was silent for a moment after hearing what I said.
It was a while later that he opened his mouth again.
「It’s not about surpassing me and becoming the master of the empire… “You just wanted to have a bond with her as her daughter?”
“That’s right, Your Majesty. “You are wise as expected.”
「Ha… I never even thought about that. “How on earth did you know that?”
He looked at me and snorted.
However, their eyes did not ignore me like before.
I just feel amazed, like seeing an extraordinary animal.
“Actually, I come from a commoner background and am even an orphan. “I grew up in a monastery with many other children.”
He placed his hand on his left chest.
And, I said it as politely as possible.
“As a relatively old person, I had many similar concerns as the emperor while raising those children.”
I regretted comparing orphans to the emperor’s children.
But fortunately, he nodded his head in agreement.
「Ha… “It’s like raising a lot of children at a young age.”
“Yes, they also get very jealous of each other when someone does something nice to them.”
「Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk… “All kids are like that.”
The emperor chuckled, saying he sympathized.
Then he closed his eyes tightly, wondering why he was having such a trivial conversation with this fox.
With an expression as if he had been attacked.
「Okay, then let’s talk about Leah this time.」
Leonhardt looked cold again.
Then, he asked about his difficult eldest daughter.
The intention was to see if you could really hold your tongue about this child.
As if responding to this, I opened my mouth leisurely.
“I understand. “What does your Majesty think of Leah?”
「What a great kid. I heard that he was not pushed aside by Leon and formed his own independent force.”
The emperor knew everything that happened during the coma.
「He is a child with a sense of responsibility, to the point where he takes command directly. “If he were a man, he would definitely have become emperor!”
He looks proud of Leah.
When I saw that, I….
“Actually, Leah is very scared.”
I poured cold water on it to make it look nice.
「What… ?」
When the emperor heard those words, he began to emit bloody smoke from his entire body.
「You guys are finally urging Ming…. How dare you say my daughter is a coward….」
“Now, please wait a moment!”
I gestured desperately to the emperor, who was gathering lightning at the tip of his hand.
“Actually, Lady Leah, if Your Majesty never wakes up, she was thinking of becoming independent from the empire with her own forces.”
「What… ?」
“It wasn’t because of ambition. “He predicted that when the Emperor dies, the empire will be torn into many pieces and an era of chaos will come!”
Leonhardt took a deep breath.
It looked like an old lion leader.
“He was trying to protect the people who followed His Majesty until the end according to that period.”
I lowered my head.
And, he shouted like a loyalist speaking from his convictions.
“While everyone else is taking advantage, he is trying to carry on the legacy of the empire alone. That’s what Leah means!”
In fact, the actions of the first princess so far were close to betrayal.
So, now that the emperor has awakened, I have no choice but to treat him like this!
‘Leah… ‘You owe me a big debt.’
「Is that so….」
“Yes, Lady Leah is desperately hoping for Your Majesty to wake up!”
「I guess I misunderstood for a moment.」
The emperor took a white thunderbolt from his palm.
Thanks to you, the bedroom became quiet again.
“So, after you announced that you had awakened. “I recommend meeting Leah separately.”
「What would you like to do when we meet?」
“Let’s just play a game of chess together.”
The emperor’s lips twitched at the unexpected chess story.
“And Leah will be satisfied if you just reassure her that the era of peace has come.”
He closed his eyes gently and admired himself.
I think it was a satisfactory proposal.
But….
「Yes, I understand. But… “It’s a little strange, isn’t it?”
I opened my eyes again.
Then, at that moment.
I almost took my breath away from the powerful face of the emperor who came right in front of me.
「Leah and Lydia are not naturally on good terms. “How do you know everything so well?”
“Yes… ?”
「In particular, Leah does not talk to anyone. “But she knows that he plays chess.”
The face of a giant lion.
It looks like it’s going to bite my neck off at any moment.
「You bastard. What on earth does this have to do with our Leah…? ?」
What relationship?
When I heard those words, all kinds of memories flashed through my mind like a flash of light.
We took turns going to each other’s sleeping quarters.
With my clothes off, my back was also treated.
Besides….
Even the sight of me lying on the bed wearing my dress shirt.
‘Damn it, why does that scene come to mind in particular…? !’
I stretched my facial muscles as much as possible.
And then, he said with a smile.
“Come on, here I am, an ordinary chess friend.”
「A friend? “Are you telling me to believe that now?”
The sound of thunder.
Thanks to you, my hair fluttered like crazy.
“My territory is right next to the princess’s villa! “Neighbors can play chess together!”
Neighbor cousin.
Only after hearing those words did the emperor shed his doubts.
「Are you saying you are a resident right next door?」
“Yes, really. W, here’s the permit for the territory… !”
I am gold and jade. I showed the territory permit that I was carrying around with me.
「….」
The emperor stared at the words.
He backed away from me only after seeing clear evidence.
「That must be true.」
“Of course!”
I maintained my forced smile as best as I could.
I changed the topic and continued the lecture.
“Finally, what do you think about Irina?”
The calmed emperor snorted like a dragon.
Then, with a serious expression, the memory of the second princess came to mind.
「Irina… “He was a poor child.”
Unlike when thinking of the two princesses, their eyes are particularly sad.
「After her wife died, this child barely survived thanks to the care of several ministers.」
The emperor felt deeply guilty for not being able to take care of her.
If Irina had been officially taken care of, other royal family members would have kept her in check.
There was no way she could withstand those attacks without her empress.
‘Thanks to you, I know how much hardship I had in my past life!’
From Noble mtl dot com
“But it’s different now. “Irina currently has a knighthood.”
「Yes, I heard that it was made.」
Leonhard nodded his head silently.
However, it is an expression that is not expected.
‘If you only hear it from the outside, you shouldn’t expect much.’
But what if the instructors there were Camilla and I?
“Do you know how big it is?”
「At best, it will be at the level of a new knight corps.」
“No. There are as many as 80 people who have been promoted to junior expert level. “There are as many as 30 of them in the intermediate level!”
With that level, it is comparable to Subangsa among the 6 Knights.
“And, the princess raised them herself.”
This time, I raised the corners of my mouth with a sincere expression.
“Irina is not a pitiful person. As a member of Your Majesty’s bloodline, you have strengthened yourself.”
The emperor looked at me intently as he gave a passionate speech.
Then he spoke with sharp eyes.
「Okay, then you probably helped.」
You’re quick to notice….
Definitely the most difficult person I’ve ever met.
「There are only a few talented people who can join the Holy Knights, so they must have selected promising players and raised them themselves. With your skills, you should be able to raise it in a short period of time.”
“As expected, I can’t hide it from Your Majesty.”
「Don’t be humble. “Tell me in detail why you helped Irina.”
The head lion’s eyes sparkle.
The princesses were originally famous for their beautiful appearance.
However, since Irina had little power, there were many noble men targeting her.
Knowing that fact, the emperor’s eyes were full of doubt.
「I guess that kid isn’t just a ‘friend’?」
“hahahaha, no way. “I never intended to do that!!”
I answered him firmly.
“I’m not so foolish that I can’t understand the topic because I’m obsessed with appearances.”
I answered the emperor’s words as quickly and firmly as possible.
So that no one can even suspect anything.
But….
「What?」
The emperor’s face turned cold after hearing my quick answer.
「That’s what I mean. Does this mean my daughter is not that attractive? ?」
His thick lips quivering.
I thought I definitely responded well!
Only the corners of the emperor’s mouth turned downward.
As if he was disappointed with me.
「Irina, even looking at that kid’s deer-like eyes doesn’t make his heart beat?」
The emperor praises the charms of the princesses, including Irina.
I thought as I looked at that.
「Are you really a monk?」
‘How on earth did I hide this from my daughters…? .’
I smiled at the solemn emperor.
And, I had a hard time persuading him for a while.
😅 this awkward doting father