492 – The sun is hot, the sky is high, and the plants are green – 5
A few days before the wedding, I was summoned to the emperor.
It is a pity. These days, it was convenient to communicate only through communication channels rather than face-to-face, but I got called right before school vacation.
“Awww!”
“It’s been a while since I greeted you, Her Royal Highness.”
However, she could not refuse, citing the justification that, as a godfather, she should see her goddaughter’s face often. She actually called because ‘she was bored.’ Although she doesn’t have the ability to say no, even if it’s the same crazy cause.
In any case, the reason for her summons was to play with the Empress Dowager, so even though she was summoned by the Emperor, she came to the Empress Palace, not the Taeyangjeon office. She is fortunate to have avoided the office, which is like her den.
“Woo?”
“Your Highness?”
But something is strange. As soon as the Empress held her hand to her, the Crown Princess fluttered her hand around her chin.
She lowered her arms slightly, wondering if he was asking me to lay her down on the bed, but she made a noise like “Pa-u-u” And showed that she didn’t like it.
I’m confused. After not seeing her for several months, she developed a strange habit.
“Don’t worry, Minister. I’m doing this because I have nothing to catch.”
The Empress, who was watching the scene, let out a chuckle and gently opened her mouth.
“She said that Her Majesty the Crown Princess sometimes hugs the Crown Princess, and every time she does that, the Crown Princess pulls the Crown Princess’s beard. Since the Minister does not have a beard, she is confused as to where to hold it.”
“Yeah, I see.”
This was too much information for a single subject to hear, so he let out an awkward laugh. She had known for a long time that she had donated her beard to the Crown Princess, but she had no idea that several months had passed and she was still tearing it off from time to time.
It was a situation where she only showed a cool-headed and solemn appearance, to the point where real blue blood came out when she was stabbed by someone else’s knife. It seems like cognitive dissonance would come to her when she thought of a situation like that where she would normally hug her granddaughter and even grab her beard.
‘Is my grandfather a grandfather?’
If you think about it, the situation has never shown paternity. Her eldest son, who is a bastard, her eldest son, who is a bastard, and her youngest son, who was covered by a bastard and became air. He did not show affection equally to those three. I couldn’t tell if it was because of her personal personality or her responsibility as a leader.
From noble mtl dot com
However, the situation is that he is showing little by little the fatherly character that was not there even after he stepped down from the position of emperor. If that’s the case, then it would mean that you’ve been suppressing your emotions out of a sense of responsibility. It’s late, but I’m glad I can love her granddaughter as much as I do.
“Taa!”
“Oh my.”
While I was thinking about the situation where I was feeding the chickens, the Crown Princess, who was just stroking her chin, let out a loud roar.
Then he grabbed me by the collar.
“The Crown Princess catches what I couldn’t catch first.”
Then the emperor, who was watching from behind with his arms crossed, spoke as if he was impressed.
What are you admiring, you crazy person? Your daughter learned how to grab her godfather by the collar.
‘You shouldn’t make this a habit.’
If, just in case, the Crown Princess gets into the habit of grabbing her subjects by the collar, it will be really difficult. No matter how kind and capable you are, ‘if you make a mistake, you will grab the subject’s collar.’ If this one sentence is attached, doesn’t it give off the scent of a tyrant?
Of course, since the child is less than a year old, it may have been caught by chance, but if this coincidence continues for several years, it could really become a habit. Even for the sake of the empire, that is not possible.
That’s why I made up my mind to become the Crown Princess’ godfather. If the emperor neglects this collar grabber, the country will also be resolute.
“Bwawoo~”
She made eye contact with the Crown Princess, who was smiling brightly.
…
‘The kid could be like that.’
It’s not like your hair is being torn off, but you can give as much as you want, as long as it’s a piece of collarbone.
The Crown Princess fell asleep holding her collar, so she had to take off her coat to make an emergency escape.
“I’m sorry. I accidentally took the minister’s clothes.”
“It’s okay. It’s a uniform anyway, so there’s a lot left over.”
She gently shook her head at the emperor, who was laughing. I don’t wear clothes decorated with gold, but I only wear the uniform of the inspection department issued by the administration, so why should I feel sorry?
I’m worried that my clothes, just rolling around, might spread illness to the baby, the Crown Princess.
“As expected, he is generous because he is the godfather. The minister will be a good father to the children.”
“That’s too much praise, Your Majesty.”
It was an unexpected compliment, but I instinctively lowered my head. This guy is just praising me to get something out of his mouth.
“It’s too much praise.”
And in response to my answer, the emperor remained silent for a moment.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult if the minister wasn’t a good father? So instead of saying it’s too much praise, say it’s an honor.”
Hearing the next words, I raised my head again.
I felt like I knew what the emperor was worried about. If I fantasized about my children’s home education or pursued self-study, it would, unfortunately, be a disaster for the empire. The next Duke of Imperial Encyclopedia, who is not an ordinary nobleman, has a twisted personality? Even the next Earl of Wiridia, who will control the North?
‘It’s dizzying.’
Even though I only imagined it a little, I saw a glimpse of Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s a terrible future where the 2nd prince who was dealt with at best is copied.
“Oh my, I called you to say something nice, but you ended up saying something heavy for no reason.”
“No, Your Majesty. Those were valuable words that pointed out the direction in which Sosin should move.”
I gave a formal answer to the emperor who belatedly spoke as if he was embarrassed.
No, in fact, it is not a formal answer, but a sincere answer. Of course, I had no intention of neglecting or abusing my children, but it made me realize that if I let them go astray even a little, it would be a disaster for the empire.
Furthermore, a quarter of the child born to Trixie and I will be an elf. It is said that the maximum lifespan of an elf is about a thousand years, which means that by simple calculation, they live for 200 to 300 years. If such a child becomes a vicious nobleman, he will not be able to raise his head in front of the people.
***
I said something that could make the atmosphere awkward, but the minister didn’t mind much.
When I saw that, I felt even more relieved. With such a spectacle, the chances of my worries coming true are extremely low. At least the second generation of Crasius, whom the minister will directly educate, will be far from tyranny or arrogance.
‘That’s enough.’
I felt relieved. It was for this reason that he dared to call the minister ahead of his second wedding. I wanted to let the unmarried duke know that although it would be a joy to have a companion and an heir, having a child is not the end.
Looking at the minister’s reaction, I thought he would have done well even if it weren’t for me, but I wanted to be sure because it was a problem related to the dukedom and not to any other family.
“By the way, Minister. Take this with you while you’re here.”
Now that the Minister has given me confidence and reassurance, it is time to call the Minister and reward him for his efforts.
“Your Majesty, this is—”
“It’s a gift. Should the imperial family celebrate the Duke of Imperial Encyclopedia’s marriage empty-handed?”
He took out a music box the size of both fists from his pocket and handed it to him.
A gorgeous music box with a golden border on a blue background and decorated with pure white jewels. Even its interior is made of a material sensitive to mana, so the budget and technology invested in this music box are by no means small.
‘I did write quite a bit.’
I smiled bitterly as I thought about the budget invested for this music box.
A duke is the pinnacle of the empire’s nobility and a descendant of meritorious subjects who established the mandate of heaven. Naturally, the imperial family also respects them, and it is customary to give them gifts with great care, money, and money on auspicious occasions such as weddings. I wonder if the palace palace has a separate budget for gifts for dukes.
However, the Katoban Duke family had no luck for over 100 years. This is in contrast to the Duke of Oshiden’s budget being wiped out twelve times due to the Golden Ball’s great performance.
That is why we invested a budget that far exceeded the set budget. In the meantime, the Duke of Catoban was giving away gifts that he had not received, and he made it, thinking that he was treating a minister who had devoted himself to the empire.
“…I am truly grateful for this undeserved gift, Your Majesty.”
The minister also bowed his head again, as if he recognized the value of the music box.
I hope you like it.
***
A day before the wedding, we moved to the Duchy of Servet.
For the last wedding, we were moving from institution to institution, so it didn’t matter if we moved on the same day, but this wedding will be held outside the institution. Even if there is teleportation, it is easier to go and prepare in advance.
Conclusively, wizards who were considered big names in the continental magic world were gathering in the Duchy of Servet. Of course, unless the wizards go crazy, there will be no trouble in Trixie’s estate, but if guests gather, it is right for the owner to stay in place.
“You’ve come a long way.”
As soon as I saw the list handed over by the head deacon, I burst into laughter. Even though it was a list that simply included the names and affiliations of visiting wizards, it was quite thick.
Meanwhile, the name of Duke Kilanas was written at the very front of the list. Yes, I thought this guy would come before anyone else.
“I’m worried that there might not be enough space for this.”
“Don’t worry. The bushes near the villa have been neatly trimmed, so it won’t be crowded even if a large number of people gather at once.”
When I spoke with a small concern, the head deacon answered confidently.
I was able to trust him because he gave such a confident answer. If a loyal butler could do something like that, it would be a sure thing.
“Thanks to those who went, we will be able to have a beautiful wedding. Thank you.”
“Thank you. It’s to the point where we should actually give thanks.”
Then the deacon, who bowed his head several times, suddenly disappeared, saying he would inspect the wedding hall again.
The more I look, the more I worry. He does this to me, who is not yet his official wife, but how loyal he will be when he becomes his official wife. Other people might think that I am a slave rather than a head deacon.
“I have to watch my mouth in front of my vassals.”
From now on, you must be careful about what you say in front of your retainers, including the chief deacon. In some cases, an order that I don’t even remember may be fulfilled somewhere.
“…….”
“Trixie?”
As I said that and looked away, I saw Trixie staring at the floor in silence.
‘I was nervous.’
It was so cute that I burst into laughter. You were nervous because tomorrow was your wedding.
…Hmmm.
“Hyaaa!”
When I suddenly touched her ears, Trixie got scared and flinched.
The response is certain. I’m satisfied.
“Ka, Carl! What are you doing?”
Trixie, whose face turned red in an instant, protested in a trembling voice.
Ever since she learned what touching ears means to an elf, Trixie has been reluctant to touch them. I still don’t know what it means, but I refrained from doing it anyway because Trixie was reluctant.
“What’s going on between us?”
But whatever that means, is there a need for restraint now? You’ve already spent five hot days at the villa. Whatever it means, it can’t mean anything hotter than those five days, right?
“We’re a couple now.”
With a confident declaration, he touched both Trixie’s ears at the same time.
“S-stop… Please stop…”
It was satisfying to see Trixie melting away.
I was so disappointed that I couldn’t do this for so long.